Westchester County Executive George Latimer rolled to a primary election day victory over incumbent Congressman Jamaal Bowman to capture the Democratic Party’s nomination to run for the NY 16th Congressional District House seat now held by Bowman. With 88.9% of the votes counted as of early Wednesday morning Latimer was leading Bowman 58.4% to 41.5%. The vote totals were Latimer 44,371 to Bowman 31,555. The vote tally was for the entire district, including sections of the Bronx and Westchester. In Westchester, 100% of the votes had been counted and Latimer had 20,205 or 58% to Bowman’s 14,814, or 42%.
Several hundred Latimer supporters gathered at 1133 Westchester Ave. in White Plains to watch the results come in and then hear Latimer’s victory speech. Latimer was introduced by Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins, who would move up to become county executive if Latimer wins the House seat in November and resigns so that he can assume his position in Congress.
Latimer expressed dismay at the divisiveness being seen in politics and government in the U.S., decrying extreme left and extreme right elements that appear to be more interested in compounding divisions than in seeking agreement and solutions.
Bowman appeared at an election night gathering of his supporters at the Grand Roosevelt Ballroom on Hudson Street in Yonkers. He said that the progressive movement with which he is associated has always been about justice, humanity and equality. He reinforced his opposition to the Israeli military action in Gaza.
The Bowman-Latimer contest has attracted attention far outside of the parts of Westchester and the Bronx that fall within the district, in part because of the millions spent on the primary that has been called the most expensive in U.S. history. Estimates have ranged from $12 million to $24.5 million , most of which was spent by groups outside of the candidates’ campaign committees. The outside spending has largely gone toward television and internet advertising along with a forest of direct mail pieces.
An Emerson College/PIX11/The Hill poll released June 11 showed that Latimer was leading Bowman 48% to 31% with 21% of likely voters undecided. At about the same time, Bowman’s campaign said a poll showed him leading by one point.
Key among the issues was the split between the candidates over the actions of Israel following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and kidnappings by Hamas. Bowman had harsh criticism of Israel for its actions to go after Hamas in Gaza, which he classified as genocide. Latimer disagreed, and called for a cease-fire accompanied by Hamas releasing the hostages it was holding. Bowman, through his pro-Palestinian positions, had alienated Jewish voters and Jewish organizations. Latimer had initially been urged to run by supporters of Israel and when he began his campaign they opened their financial faucets for heavy advertising separate from Latimer’s campaign committee activities.
Bowman was joined in his personal appearances in the final campaign days by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez have taken far-left positions that coincide with Bowman’s views on Israel, the Palestinians, the climate, racial justice and voting rights. Bowman is aligned with Ocasio-Cortez and other progressive members of the House in an alliance known as “the squad.”
Latimer, while having been a long-time advocate of democracy, voting rights, human rights, racial justice, affordable housing and other liberal views has shown strong support for Israel. Latimer, like Bowman, has expressed support for a two-state solution to help solve the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
Among the contentious issues in the Latimer-Bowman contest was Bowman’s charge that right-wing MAGA Republican donors have been funding Latimer’s bid to oust Bowman. Bowman points to pro-Latimer and anti-Bowman ads run by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, AIPAC, which Bowman says gets its money from donors on the extreme right.
When he cast his vote during early voting on June 22 at Mount Vernon City Hall, Latimer told reporters, “There should be peace in the Middle East. It comes from respect for Israel as a democracy and working to negotiate between Israel and the Arab presence in that area.” He said that an extreme position is to call for a cease-fire now without the release of the hostages.
Latimer said that he was excited that the primary contest was almost over.
“It’s been a long road and I’ve worked very hard,” Latimer said, “I’ve tried to be grass roots oriented and meet people where they are, in Co-op (City), and Lakeview, Tarrytown, Port Chester, Eastchester, all over this district. This is nothing new for me. I’ve done this as county executive and for state legislator.”
Latimer expressed a hope that the Democrats would retake the House in the upcoming November election and that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries could be elevated to become speaker.
“We haven’t gotten much work out of the House at this stage of the game,” Latimer said. “I hope to be a member of the House and a productive member of the House and then we’ll try to tackle some of the issues.”
Shortly before the time Latimer was voting in Mount Vernon, Rep. Bowman was at a rally at Co-op City in the Bronx where both Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders appeared.
“We are tired of having corporate lobbies trying to buy up our communities and sell them to the highest bidder; we’re not doing that,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “We all know what the stakes are here. We have enormous outside influence trying to buy our representation because they don’t like who we chose to represent us.”
Bowman said, “Our movement is more powerful than their money. Our people are more powerful than their power. And, it’s time for us to show them the real power of the people. We’re going to let them know how strong and powerful and mighty we are.”
Bowman said that his movement wants justice, housing and health care as human rights along with criminal justice reform and getting big money out of politics.
“Because they see the power of our movement they have been spending more money than has ever been spent in American history,” Bowman said. “They are the money, we are the mighty. They are the money, we are the many.”
There was a county-wide primary for the democratic nomination for Westchester District Attorney, Adael Mirza rceived 4,020 votes (10%), , Susan Cacace received 23,053 votes (58%) and William O. Wagstaff Jr. received 12,428 (31%).
In a contest for the Democratic nomination for the 92nd State Assembly District, MaryJane Shimsky received 4,52 or 58% of the votes, defeating former Assemblyman Thomas Abinanti, who had 3,278 votes, or 42%.
In the 17th Congressional District that includes all of Rockland and Putnam Counties, part of Northern Westchester and parts of Southern Dutchesss, the Working Families Party had a primary that had former Congressman Mondaire Jones running against Anthony Frascone. Tuesday night Frascone was ahead of Jones 52% to 48%. Jones was unopposed for the Democratic line in the 17th Congressional District as was incumbent Mike Lawler for the Republican line.
