Jamaal Bowman’s primary reignites civil war among Democrats

Eight years after the 2016 election, Democrats are reliving the infamous Clinton-Sanders battle – this time in the race for New York’s 16th Congressional District.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (DN.Y.), a “squad” member favored by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), is facing a tough path to re-election against Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a centrist who took the prize from Hillary Clinton. support this week.

The June 25 primaries are revealing old rivalries in a party facing an identity crisis over Israel, in a part of the state that many Jews call home.

“This primary is more about the war in Gaza than anything else,” said Doug Gordon, a Democratic consultant and co-founder of UpShift Strategies.

Anxiety is very familiar. The progressive-moderate conflict has resurfaced in other races since Sanders challenged Clinton in the cycle that saw former President Trump win the White House. Activist Jessica Cisneros’s failed attempt to unseat Clinton-backed Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar (D) exposed the center-left divide, as did Sanders-endorsed Nina Turner’s unsuccessful challenge to Rep. Shontel Brown (D). in Ohio.

The Westchester-Bronx district is now in the spotlight. And progressives hope for a miracle.

There is a lot of anger in both camps. Bowman has repeatedly suggested that Latimer is racist, while Latimer has accused Bowman of siding with ultra-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on a key vote. Both sought to paint the other as ineffective and wrong for the blue district.

On Wednesday, after Clinton endorsed Latimer, old wounds were exposed again.

“With Trump on the ballot, we need strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever,” Clinton wrote in a post on social platform X. “In Congress, @LatimerforNY will protect abortion rights, stand up to the NRA, and fight for President Biden’s agenda – as he always has.”

An endorsement from the former first lady – who represented New York in the Senate – is now being tested. Observers say this sent a signal about the ideological importance of the race to Democrats.

As Democrats look to win back the House, the seat is not vulnerable to the GOP. But centrists and progressives will likely use the winner as a signal of the party’s direction for 2024 and beyond. Clinton’s support shows a desire among some Democrats for the party to embrace its more moderate wing.

Bowman, who is trailing in recent polls, played down his decision.

“I definitely wouldn’t call it a huge endorsement,” Bowman said in an appearance on CNN, before touting his support of Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y. .Y.) . Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.) is also organizing a rally with Sanders for Bowman just before Election Day.

One progressive Bowman can’t count on for support is former Rep. Mondaire Jones (DN.Y.), who is running in the neighboring district after briefly leaving Congress. Jones threw his support behind Latimer in a surprise endorsement, causing an uproar among liberals who saw it as a stab in the back.

“You can’t convince voters that you’re going to stand up for them when they see so many examples of you negotiating with your backbone,” said a progressive strategist who worked on campaigns in New York, referring to Jones.

“This is coming from a guy who knocked on Mondaire’s door when he ran for the first time,” said the strategist. “I feel nothing but regret for doing this.”

Still, some Democrats believe the Sanders-Clinton picture is approaching its expiration date — even though both candidates hailed the support of those numbers in the final weeks of the campaign.

“I think looking at it through the prism of 2016 is a little too simplistic,” Gordon said. “The party and the world around it have changed a lot in the last eight years. Clinton and Sanders are not the vote boosters they once were,” he said.

Gordon and other operatives say the biggest test will be how voters view their positions on Israel at the polls. Foreign policy dominated the race after the Hamas attack on October 7 forced a reckoning on American policy in the Middle East. It raised new questions about the role of Israel and the United States in financing it and operating it on the front lines.

The 16th Congressional District is heavily populated by Jewish constituents, but is also home to Arab residents who share pro-Palestinian sentiments.

Latimer is seen as a staunch supporter of Israel, having visited the country last year. His support list includes the country’s leading pro-Israel groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and its affiliated super PAC, the United Democracy Project (UDP).

The steadfastness of their support from Israel’s allies has been a major point of frustration for progressives, who take issue with the funding that AIPAC and UDP receive from Republican donors.

“Unfortunately, it appears that the real story here is the amount of campaign spending by outside groups to remove Bowman from office,” said Tim Black, a pro-Sanders progressive activist and commentator.

Bowman expressed solidarity with the Palestinians. He often publicly condemns the Israeli government and has doubled down on criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and military leaders as the war continues.

“Bowman’s comments about Gaza put a huge target on his back and the response was blunt and effective,” Black said.

“Attack ads work,” he added. “That’s the true story of Latimer’s race.”

Bowman and grassroots groups like Justice Democrats and the Working Families Party have targeted Latimer’s pro-Israel stance as a way to differentiate him from his opponent, especially around his views on a ceasefire.

“Unfortunately, my opponent and Secretary Clinton does not support a permanent ceasefire,” Bowman said in his CNN appearance. “They support Benjamin Netanyahu and they support billions of dollars of our money that go to Israel and Netanyahu for an unjust attack on civilians in Gaza versus those billions that come here to our district.”

He called Latimer and Clinton “out of touch.”

A little more than a week before primary day, polls show that Bowman may be the candidate slightly further away from his voters. A recent poll taken by Emerson College and The Hill gives Latimer the edge, gaining a double-digit lead over the former high school principal.

The poll shows Latimer with 48% support, compared to 31% for Bowman.

“We’re getting close to the limit,” Black said, noting how close the race was in the final stretch.

Black is among the progressive voices who sympathize with Bowman but have nonetheless expressed concern about his chances. They see Latimer’s funding as their biggest asset and fear Bowman won’t be able to catch up.

“It’s disconcerting how many activists have pushed for Bowman to defend the Palestinians, but so far, it doesn’t seem like all the noise has turned into financial support and that’s why Bowman may lose,” Black said.

“He fought the good fight, but it will take money to beat him.”