AIPAC-backed Latimer defeats pro-Palestine Bowman in NY Democratic primary

George Latimer, a pro-Israel centrist, has defeated US Representative Jamaal Bowman in a Democratic primary in suburban New York that highlighted the party’s deep divisions over the war in Gaza.

With the victory, Latimer has ousted one of the most liberal voices in Congress and one of its most outspoken critics of Israel. Bowman has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, where Israel has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians since October 7 last year.

Latimer, who into the race at the urging of Jewish leaders upset with Bowman's criticism of Israel, is a former state legislator who has served as Westchester County executive since 2018. In a victory speech, Latimer called for more civility following the contentious race.

Bowman had been seeking a third term, representing a district in New York City’s northern suburbs. His defeat is a blow to the party’s progressive wing and a potential cautionary tale for candidates trying to shape their messaging around Israel's war on Gaza.

Trying to buy the race

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee's (AIPAC) political action committee spent nearly $15 million on the primary, filling airwaves and mailboxes with negative ads in an effort to unseat Bowman, who has accused the influential pro-Israel lobbying group of trying to buy the race.

Some major progressive figures have rushed to Bowman's defence. In the final stretch of the race, he rallied with liberals Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders, while Latimer pulled in the endorsement of former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

On Israel, both Bowman and Latimer support a two-state solution.

But Bowman was one of a few progressives who rejected a symbolic House resolution in support of Israel following the October 7 Hamas raid. Latimer firmly backs Israel and said negotiating a ceasefire with Hamas is a non-starter because he believes it is not a resistance group.

'Tool of pro-Israel groups'

Bowman was first elected in 2020 after running as a liberal insurgent against moderate US Representative Eliot Engel, a 16-term congressman who chaired a House committee on foreign affairs. Bowman, 48, embraced the political outsider strategy this year as well, depicting Latimer as a tool of pro-Israel groups.

The congressional district's boundaries have shifted since Bowman first won office in 2020, losing most of its sections in the Bronx and adding more of Westchester County's suburbs.

He spent the bulk of his election day in the Bronx, too, and a video posted to the social media site X showed Bowman walking down a street in the Bronx with a drum line behind him on Tuesday.

Latimer, 70, will be the prohibitive favourite to win in the general election. The district, which includes parts of Westchester and a small piece of the Bronx, is a Democratic stronghold.

Nationally, Democratic Party leaders have emphasised moving toward centrist candidates who might fare better in suburban races.

Also on Tuesday, Democratic voters on Long Island picked former CNN anchor John Avlon as the candidate who will challenge incumbent Republican Rep. Nick LaLota in a district that’s been controlled by the GOP for a decade.

Avlon defeated retired chemistry professor Nancy Goroff in the Democratic primary. The Long Island congressional district has become a priority for Democrats as the party tries to flip suburban seats in New York as part of a strategy to win a House majority.