Government & Politics

Bowman And Latimer Near An End To Their Brutal Primary

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A poster for a debate? Or a prize fight?

June 22, 2024

By Barrett Seaman–

As the battle to determine the Democratic candidate for New York’s 16^th Congressional District heads into its final days, the vituperative, brawling tone of the contest between incumbent Jamaal Bowman and challenger George Latimer has only sharpened. The two men, each of whom self-describes as “progressive,” appear more like polar opposites as they and their supporters hurl charges of distortion, fealty to outside agents and racism.

The race has drawn national media attention as well as record amounts of money—more than $20 million of it said to come from sources outside the district, making it the most expensive congressional primary–ever. And as early voting nears completion, it appears to be drawing record voter turnout.

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Representative Bowman’s camp continues to hammer home the message that Latimer is the puppet of AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby and its satellite fundraising organs. The overlap between AIPAC donors and big money conservatives, they allege, means Latimer is more aligned with MAGA Republicans than he is with Westchester Democrats. Bowman, meanwhile, continues to voice an unabashed defense of the Palestinian cause.

Latimer’s camp portrays Bowman as incompetent and a liar. In a press release following last week’s fourth and final debate in PIX Channel 11, called Bowman “fumbling and disgraced.”

Increasingly undisguised in recent exchanges are allegations of racism that cut both ways. Bowman’s camp has repeatedly called out Latimer for “racist comments.” Jumping on a recent Latimer assertion that Bowman’s “constituency is Dearborn, Michigan,” a city with a large Arab-American population, Bowman’s communications staff accused the County Executive of Islamophobia.

In their penultimate debate on Spectrum News NY1, Bowman claimed Latimer had ignored Black and Brown constituents. “Just because you have a few Black friends,” he chided, “doesn’t make you anti-racist.”

Latimer countered that Bowman is too focused on minority constituents, saying, “You talk about the needs of part of the district, and you completely ignore them. You don’t mention Asians. You don’t mention people who are not Black or brown. There’s a whole district, Jamaal, that you’ve ignored, and the district knows you’ve ignored it. That’s why you only have 31% in the last poll.”

The 31% was a reference to a recent poll, conducted in the first week in June by Emerson College, had Latimer up by 17 points–48% to 31%, with 21% still undecided. Two months earlier, a survey by The Mellman Group also gave Latimer a 17% (52% to 35%) lead in the race. That suggests that all the money spent by both sides has done little to move voters.

Each candidate has a distinct “base”in the district. Bowman’s lies in the large urban communities of Yonkers, Co-op City, Mt. Vernon and New Rochelle, while Latimer’s strength is in the suburbs along Long Island Sound, Greenburgh and the rivertowns, including Hastings, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington and part of Tarrytown.

Senator Bernie Sanders in Hastings on Friday (photo by Sue Treiman)

As the race has unfolded, Bowman has consolidated his ties to the most progressive elements in the Democratic Party as well as allies such as the Working Families Party and Social Democrats USA. One ad shows a smiling Bowman alongside members of the so-called “Squad:” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), Ilhan Omar and Rashida Talib. On Friday, he was joined at a Hastings-on-Hudson rally by Vermont’s Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders. On Saturday, while Latimer was casting his primary vote in his hometown of Mt. Vernon, Bowman joined AOC (who is being challenged by Irvington resident Marty Dolan) and Sanders in the Bronx.

White Plains elected Democrats endorse Latimer

Latimer, meanwhile, has racked up a host of endorsements from elected Democrats throughout the county. Earlier this month, he was joined by Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and the entire leadership of the Yonkers City Council. At a similar photo op, the Democratic leaders of White Plains, including Mayor Tom Roach, gave Latimer their blessing. They would join an impressive list of endorsers that now includes Mondaire Jones, running in adjacent District 17, former Representatives Nita Lowey and Eliot Engel—and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

The Republican candidate for NY District 16, Dr. Miriam Flisser

The Republican candidate for District 16’s seat is Dr. Miriam Flisser, who moved as a child to the Bronx from Eastern Europe and has a pediatric practice in Scarsdale. There is a broad consensus among political observers that the winner of this primary, whether Bowman or Latimer, will win the general election in November.

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