Results from the New York district indicate that one prominent member of the far-left “Squad” may not return to Congress next year.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), who made headlines earlier this year for pulling a fire alarm in what appeared to be an attempt to delay a vote, is significantly trailing his Democratic primary opponent according to new polls obtained by the New York Post. The results show challenger George Latimer leading Rep. Bowman by as much as 17 points ahead of the June 25th primary election. Latimer, the Westchester County Executive, has captured 48% of the vote compared to Bowman’s 31%, with 21% of voters still undecided.
The Daily Caller added that Latimer’s support appears to be coming from segments of the district upset over Bowman’s anti-Israel stances following the October 7th attack by Hamas. The ensuing conflict has divided progressive Jews, who constitute a significant portion of the electorate, with younger, more vocal voters whose protests on New York campuses have sometimes veered into open antisemitism in defense of Palestine.
Polling in the district shows 49% of respondents siding with Latimer, who has strongly advocated for Israel’s right to defend itself. Bowman, who has at times referred to the Jewish nation as an “apartheid” state, garners just 29% of support on this issue.
In November, the Democratic incumbent was caught on video referring to Israel as an “apartheid” state and claiming that allegations of Hamas murdering children and raping women during the initial attack were a “lie.” According to the New York Post, he later retracted these comments, attributing them to Hamas propaganda.
Bowman is not the only member of the Squad to begin equivocating on their support for Palestinians. Fellow New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) faced criticism from anti-Israel activists over the weekend for hosting progressive Israeli advocates on her Instagram page, where the trio denounced the rising antisemitism in antiwar protests. This shift in tone comes after AOC was heckled in public and literally chased out of a movie theater by pro-Palestinian New Yorkers, who demanded she refer to Israel’s actions as “genocide.”
Other members of the Squad, such as Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), have faced criticism for attending a conference financially supported by organizations linked to designated terrorist groups. Similarly, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has drawn criticism for stating that she is in Congress to represent the interests of the Somalian people, with critics accusing her of showing greater allegiance to her country of birth over the United States.
Both representatives have faced confrontations with reporters over these issues, with incidents involving either direct confrontations or altercations involving their staff.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.