Westchester County Executive George Latimer holds a 17-point lead over Rep. Jamaal Bowman (DN.Y.) in a tense New York House Democratic primary, according to a new poll.
An Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill poll released Tuesday found Latimer leading Bowman in New York’s 16th Congressional District primary, with 48% support to 31%, with 21% of respondents undecided.
The poll found that 51 percent of respondents have a favorable view of Bowman, compared to 43 percent who have an unfavorable view of the House Democrat. By comparison, 65 percent said they had a favorable view of Latimer, while 23 percent had an unfavorable view of the county executive.
“Voters under 40 drop out for Bowman: 44% to 35%, while voters over 40 drop out for Latimer,” explained Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, in a press release.
“Democratic primary voters ages 40 to 59 break for Latimer 53% to 31%, while voters in their 60s break for Latimer 46% to 29%, and voters over 70 break for Latimer 53% to 22%.”
The numbers underscore the challenge the two-term incumbent faces ahead of the June 25 primary as he fights for re-election. Bowman was dogged by unflattering headlines last year after the House censured him for pulling a fire alarm during a key vote on government funding. He was also charged with a misdemeanor following the incident, although the House Democrat argued it was a mistake.
The Democratic primary between Latimer and Bowman divided Democrats and key groups. The pro-American-Israel Public Affairs Committee supported Latimer in the primary, and former Rep. Mondaire Jones (DN.Y.), who is also fighting for a congressional seat this cycle, bristled when he endorsed his opponent by Bowman.
Meanwhile, progressive members like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.), and other prominent groups like the powerful United Auto Workers, have thrown their weight behind Bowman.
The seat is blue, meaning whoever wins the Democratic primary later this month is the heavy favorite to win in November.
The Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill poll was conducted June 6-8 of 425 likely Democratic primary voters in New York’s 16th Congressional District. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.7 percentage points.
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