U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel loses primary to newcomer Jamaal Bowman

U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, a 16-term incumbent whose 16th Congressional District covers lower Westchester and the Bronx, was defeated in the Democratic primary by Jamaal Bowman, a former middle school principal who mounted his first political campaign.

From left: Cristle Collins Judd, U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel and Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. Photo by Chris Taggart.

The primary was held on June 23, but vote counting took longer than normal due to the high quantity of absentee ballots. The Associated Press called the race for Bowman with a 56% to 40% margin over Engel.

Bowman used his campaign to extol progressive policies including Medicare for All, a single-payer health care plan and the Green New Deal. His campaign was endorsed by prominent progressives including U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Last week, Bowman promised voters a shake-up of the system by tweeting, “I can’t wait to get to DC and cause problems for those maintaining the status quo.”

Engel was first elected in 1988 and is the current chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. In June, Engel received national attention during an appearance at a Bronx rally against police brutality when he was recorded on microphone admitting “If I didn”™t have a primary, I wouldn”™t care.” Engel also faced criticism for being mostly absent from his district during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.