Bowman ouster spells trouble for House progressives on Israel
By
Rachel Schilke
June 26, 2024 6:30 am
.
House progressives suffered a heavy blow on Tuesday night after one of their leading members, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), lost his primary challenge — spelling disaster for other progressives like Bowman who are being targeted for their anti-Israel stances.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer defeated Bowman, 59.6% to 40.4% as of 11:15 p.m. Eastern time. The race had shattered primary fundraising records, with outside spending totaling over $20.5 million. Most of the ads placed in New York’s 16th District Democratic primary came from anti-Bowman groups, with the large expenditures led by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel group, and an affiliated organization poured millions into defeating Bowman, with AIPAC vowing it would do the same to several other progressives for their defense of pro-Palestinian protesters and calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
While Bowman suffered defeat largely thanks to AIPAC and its spending, his loss also can also be attributed to significant shifts in his district’s boundaries over the years since he won in 2020. Currently, 21% of the 16th District’s voting-age population is black and 42% is non-Hispanic white, according to Census figures. In 2022, the voting-age population was 30% black and 34% white.
more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/3059302/bowman-ouster-spells-trouble-house-progressives-israel/
