NY-16: Does George Latimer (D) want to unseat Jamaal Bowman (D)? Could he?
Democrats aren’t just targeting Republicans in Congress next year – Westchester County Executive George Latimer has reportedly been approached about primarying Rep. Jamaal Bowman in the 16th Congressional District. The move to unseat the popular incumbent in the safely blue district raised immediate eyebrows among political observers. But if he chose to run, Latimer could give Bowman a serious challenge – especially as Bowman faces headwinds on the issue of Israel.
Latimer told News12 that he is “thinking about the advice I have been given and will have more to come.” He didn’t immediately respond to a request for further comment from City & State, so the prospect of whether he would actually run remains murky. Latimer just won reelection to his second term as Westchester County executive in 2021, but will be term-limited out of office in 2025.
Latimer has a long track record of successful campaigns – prior to his countywide position, he served in both the state Senate and Assembly for over two decades. Before that, he was elected to the Westchester County Board of Legislators after a short amount of time as a member of the Rye City Council. “George Latimer is a tenacious campaigner with strong retail appeal, and Rep. Bowman is generally to the left of his voters,” Republican consultant William O’Reilly said. “I think County Executive Latimer would have a solid shot at winning that primary."
A prominent member of “the Squad” of progressive Congress members that includes Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bowman has consistently positioned himself as one of the most left-wing members of the House. In his first election in 2018, he had the endorsement of the Democratic Socialists of America, although he lost their support for his 2022 race after he voted in favor of sending increased military funding to Israel.
Latimer, on the other hand, is comparatively more moderate, even as he touts Westchester as reliably Democratic at a time when Republicans have gained ground in nearby suburbs in the Hudson Valley and Long Island. “If he runs, I think he runs way right of Bowman (obviously) and runs on crime,” Democratic consultant Lupe Todd-Medina said in a text message. “The district is tough because it has (New York City) residents and Westchester (suburban) residents. It’s not like (Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) where she straddles two boroughs.”
https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2023/07/does-george-latimer-want-unseat-jamaal-bowman-could-he/388715/
= new reply since forum marked as read
goes forward.
https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/new-york-court-orders-redraw-of-congressional-map-how-did-we-get-here/
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The fact that Bowman voted against the infrastructure bill is bound to come up in a primary, now that ground is breaking on the projects citywide (including in the Bronx) and in Westchester.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-touts-infrastructure-improvements-new-york-city/story?id=96790797
https://westchestermagazine.com/life-style/business/infrastructure-projects/
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And while Bowman may have "positioned himself as one of the most left wing members of the House", his record tells a different story.
Jamaal Bowman is a Moderate Liberal
https://www.ontheissues.org/NY/Jamaal_Bowman.htm