One of the congressional ‘Squad’ members who lost a primary election and will be out of a job in January has found himself facing more bad news following his defeat. According to a report from the New York Post, U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), who recently experienced one of the most expensive congressional primaries ever, is reportedly “begging for cash” in the weeks following his loss.
Bowman fell short against Westchester County Executive George Latimer in what became the most expensive race in Democratic primary history. The New York congressman faced intense scrutiny over his pro-Palestine views and opposition to Israeli military actions in Gaza, which led to substantial financial support for his opponent from pro-Israel groups. One prominent group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, spent $14.5 million in efforts to unseat him, The Post reported.
Bowman has acknowledged the impact of the costly campaign and has condemned groups who played a role in his defeat in recent campaign emails. “AIPAC spent more money against us than any other House primary – ever. I was public enemy number one, and they spent almost twenty million dollars to stop us,” the outgoing congressman said in an August 14 campaign committee email. “But that puts us in a bit of a predicament right now. After tallying up the spends, we’re ‘in the red.’ It would be an incredible help to our team if you could help us retire our campaign debt by chipping in a few dollars now,” the note continued.
The full extent of the Bowman campaign’s debt is not yet clear, but the campaign did deplete its funds in the final stretch. During the last days of the primary cycle, the Bowman campaign spent over $1.3 million on advertising, according to FEC records. Overall, Bowman’s campaign spent $5.3 million on the race, while Latimer’s campaign spent $5.6 million. As of July, Bowman’s campaign reported having over $373,000 in cash on hand and debts totaling just over $141,000, according to his latest Federal Election Commission filing.
Another member of the far-left congressional ‘Squad’ lost a primary to a Democratic challenger as well this month. Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) — who has garnered a reputation as one of the most far-left members of Congress — has been defeated by primary challenger Wesley Bell.
The outcome aligns with weeks of polling data showing St. Louis prosecutor Wesley Bell holding a substantial lead over the “Squad” Democrat. A recent poll from the Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI PAC) indicated Bell leading by six percentage points. The race was officially called shortly after 10 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, with approximately 13 percent of the vote counted. At that time, Bell had a decisive lead.
Bush, along with several of her progressive colleagues, faced significant financial opposition due to her stance on the Gaza conflict. Additionally, her campaign has been affected by ongoing legal troubles. In January, the Missouri Democrat came under federal investigation for alleged misuse of Congressional funds.
Between 2020 and 2022, Rep. Bush allocated around $500,000 for her security detail. Her “Defund the Police” stance attracted criticism for accepting security services while advocating for the dismantling of urban police departments across the country. By February 2023, this expenditure had risen to over $627,000, according to the New York Post. She wound up marrying one of her security officials, whom she continued to pay, according to reports.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.