Progressive groups reacted with disappointment and anger over Jamaal Bowman’s decisive primary loss to a moderate Democrat in New York’s 16th District, calling on the party to cut ties with pro-Israel lobbying groups they blame for the outcome.
In a letter to the House Democratic leader, Hakeem JeffriesMore than a dozen progressive organizations said they had “dire concerns” about the party’s continued association with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), “the future of the Democratic Party, the future of our multiracial democracy, and the future of our planet”.
Signatories included the Center for Popular Democracy Action, Jewish Voice for Peace Action and New York Communities for Change, and New York City Democratic Socialists of America.
In the letter, they said that in the run-up to the vote, an Aipac-affiliated political fund, the United Democracy Project, flooded the Westchester district of the north Bronx with nearly $20 million in mailings and advertisements “largely financed partly by Republican billionaires, drown out Jamaal Bowman’s message of humanity, dignity and a prosperous future for all.”
The result, they said, was to unseat a candidate Jeffries personally endorsed, who maintains “deep support among the district’s Black and brown communities,” and replace him with “a conservative politician with a history of racist comments and governance.”
Bowman, a black former high school principal who has been openly critical of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, lost to challenger George Latimer by a wide margin of 58% to 42% of the vote. The race was called an hour after the polls closed.
Bowman was supported during the campaign by heavyweight progressives, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanderswho called the race “one of the most important in modern American history.”
Sanders said in a statement after Bowman’s defeat that it was “an outrage and an insult to democracy that we maintain a corrupt campaign finance system that allows billionaire-funded Super Pacs to buy elections.”
“Aipac and other Super Pacs spent more than $23 million to defeat Bowman. He spent $3 million. This is a spending gap that is virtually impossible to bridge,” he said, adding: “It is not a coincidence that with our corrupt campaign finance system, we also have a rigged economy that allows the very rich to get much more rich, while many workers are falling further behind. A lot of money buys politicians who do their bidding and the results are clear.”
Progressives like Sanders have tried to characterize the race as an example of major monetary influence in politics after pro-Israel groups and several wealthy residents of suburban parts of the New York City district contributed their checkbooks.
Progressive groups said AIPAC had “turned the NY16 race into the most expensive Democratic primary in history, waging an unacceptable attack on our democracy, our communities and our shared future” and called on Jeffries to take action against “destructive actions in your own backyard.”
Related: Pro-Israel groups plan to spend millions on US elections
Jeffries, along with most of the House Democratic leadership team, received Aipac’s endorsement, and progressive groups demanded that he reject financial support from the pro-Israel lobbying group to protest Bowman’s defeat.
Protect Our Power said in a statement that Bowman’s defeat was a “loss for young people and anyone who cares about our ongoing movement toward justice, peace and building a multiracial democracy.”
The progressive group blamed “Aipac and the Maga billionaires who recruited and paid for George Latimer’s campaign from start to finish” for the defeat and promised to “tell Aipac they have nothing to do with creating division in our democracy.”
In a separate letter of protest, Jewish Voice for Peace Action said it was “saddened” by the results that removed a congressman who “has been one of the few members of Congress committed to defending Palestinian human rights.”
“Today is a sad day for American democracy,” said JVP political director Beth Miller. “To protect the advancement of progressive candidates, it is essential that Democrats reject Aipac,” she added.
Group member and NY-16 constituent Bob Herbst called Aipac’s multimillion-dollar spending in the district “a dangerous interference in our democracy.”
The race was seen as a crucial test of Democratic Party unity on an issue that threatens to separate traditionally Democratic-voting American Jews from the party in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 that killed nearly 1,200 people, and of a nine-month attack. Israeli counterattack that killed more than 37,000 Palestinians and starved hundreds of thousands of people.
Related: The Aipac-funded candidate defeated Jamaal Bowman. But at what cost? | Ben Davis
Bowman claimed that the results would show “the damn Aipac, the power of the damn South Bronx,” although the Aipac campaign focused primarily on Bowman’s general weaknesses and not specifically or just his stance on Israel. A UDP attack ad against Bowman specifically called for his votes against the bipartisan infrastructure bill and debt ceiling deal, accusing the congressman of disappointing his constituents.
“Jamaal Bowman has his own agenda and refuses to compromise, even with President Biden,” says the ad’s narrator. “Jamaal Bowman has his own agenda and is hurting New York.”
However, AIPAC is using Latimer’s victory to claim that Bowman’s stance on Israel is the reason he lost.
“This race presented a clear choice – between George Latimer, who reflects the views of the Democratic mainstream in his congressional district and across the country, and his opponent, who aligns himself with the extremist, anti-Israel fringe,” said a spokesperson. -Aipac voice, Marshall Wittmann. counted Axes.
Bowman was no stranger to scandals while in office. In December 2023, he became the 27th House member in history to be censured after pulling a fire alarm on his way to a vote on an interim spending bill. It was also linked to problematic blog posts that spread unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The posts, which Bowman said were from more than a decade ago, were discovered by the Daily Beast earlier this year and , the former congressman has since said he regrets them.
Bowman’s opponent, Latimer, offered a more measured approach in a district with a large number of Jewish-American voters.
After Latimer accepted his victory Tuesday night, he told supporters, “We have to fight to make sure we don’t vilify each other, that we remember we are all Americans and that our common future is united.”
Joanie Greve contributed reporting
