Closely watched congressional primary is Tuesday

With early voting ending Sunday and the Democratic Primary scheduled to take place on Tuesday June 25, Westchester County Executive George Latimer and Rep. Jamaal Bowman both had busy weekends doing last minute campaigning. Their contest for the seat Bowman currently holds representing New York’s 16th Congressional District 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, with estimates ranging from $12 million to $22 million. Spending from political action committees 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.

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.” Bowman initially condemned the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel and more recently has been demanding a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war while opposing further unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel.

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 chief issues in the Latimer-Bowman contest is 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 Saturday afternoon 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.”