Government & Politics

Latimer Posts Decisive Win Over Bowman

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Primary victor George Latimer on election night

June 26, 2024

By: Barrett Seaman–

The floor-to-ceiling glass walls of the office building on Westchester Avenue were nowhere near thick enough to stifle the sound of boisterous supporters of George Latimer as they celebrated his convincing win over incumbent Congressman Jamaal Bowman in Tuesday’s primary. As of 11:00 p.m., the margin posted on the state board of elections web site was 58% to 41% and stayed in that range throughout the night..

Because of the huge amounts of money poured into the race by groups associated with AIPAC, the American-Israeli Political Action Committee, the race was increasingly described in the national media as a referendum on the war between Israel and Hamas in Palestinian Gaza. That interpretation was embraced by the Bowman campaign and its progressive supporters. “AIPAC’s spending is an act of desperation from a lobby group that knows their position has lost all credibility,”Maurice Mitchell, the national Director of the Working Families Party (WFP), said in a statement after the results were in. The WFP carried much of the weight of Bowman’s communications message during the campaign

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Latimer’s interpretation of his decisive win was that it was more about sensible governing—“the need to work with people who don’t share your views.” To pursue ideological purity, as Bowman has during his two terms in Congress, produces stagnation, he suggested. The difference is important, he said, “because America’s future hangs in the balance.”

There is no doubt that the Gaza war and Bowman’s unabashed support for the Palestinian cause was an issue in the race. Westchester has one of the largest concentrations of Jewish voters in the country, comprising nearly 20% of the electorate, and Jewish turnout in this primary was reportedly strong. But pitting support for Israel against the needs of Black and Brown constituents, who are concentrated in the district’s large urban areas of New Rochelle, Mt. Vernon, Yonkers and a sliver of Bronx, did not prove to be a winning strategy for Bowman. Preliminary counts indicate turnout in those areas was relatively low, and Bowman needed it to be high.

One indication that the race hinged on something other than Gaza was that the victory margins of other Democrats aligned with Latimer—Assemblywoman MaryJane Shimsky, who beat back a re-challenge by her predecessor Tom Abinanti, and candidate for County District Attorney Susan Cacace—were similar to Latimer’s. In neither of those races was the war in Gaza an issue.

The crowd at Latimer’s election night victory party

More likely a factor was Latimer’s long career as a local politician—35 years in elected offices ranging from County Legislator to State Assemblyman, State Senator and two-terms as County Executive–all without a single loss. He knows virtually every mayor and town supervisor in the county and was endorsed by them as well as by most of the large labor unions.

Jamaal Bowman’s base was largely among minority voters but also skewed heavily towards younger voters of all races. His “concession” was more of a statement of resolution and defiance. “This race was never about me and me alone. It was never about this district and this district alone,” he said. “It was always about all of us. Now, our opponents–not opponent–may have won this round, at this time, in this place, but this will be a battle for our humanity and justice for the rest of our lives.”

Given his robust support by the Working Families Party, whose values align more closely with his as well as with those of Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s “Squad” than with mainstream Democrats, there has been speculation that the Congressman would run on the Working Families Party line in November. Asked at his election night event whether he would run on the WFP line, Bowman did not respond. He did, however say this: “There’s a lot of other seats to run for, you know what I’m saying? I’m still a damn good candidate.”

If he does decide to run on a third party ticket, Latimer would most likely prevail again—not only over Bowman but over the Republican candidate of record, Scarsdale pediatrician and former Scarsdale mayor Miriam Flisser.

–with reporting by Solace Church

THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED

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