Westchester County Executive George Latimer has defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman in the New York State Democratic primary for the suburbs of New York City – in a significant victory for establishment Democrats underlining deep party divisions, especially about the Gaza conflict.
Bowman, a leftist and vocal Israel critic, had condemned the Biden administration for its alleged participation in the Middle Eastern “genocide”. Latimer, backed by the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), instead took a more pro-Israel stand as he stressed the need to work across political divisions and put differences aside for the sake of the country’s future.
Bowman, who was seeking a third term, touted support from progressive figureheads like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders. That backing wasn’t enough, though, to overcome both Latimer’s financial support and endorsements, including that of former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Latimer’s win is a blow to the liberal wing of the Democratic Party and it apparently highlights that framing campaigns around contentious international issues—like the Israel-Hamas conflict—does pose challenges for candidates of both parties.
Bowman’s loss is not just a loss for progressives, as it also speaks to the heavy influence lobbying groups such as AIPAC wield in shaping election results. The pro-Israel political action committee spent heavily on the latest primary round, using this money to flood the airwaves with ads against Bowman, who they claimed had lost touch with the district’s needs.
Republican primaries, on the other hand, deliver a more ambivalent picture. U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert from the far-right movement of the GOP wing won big in her new Colorado district – the 4th. Even though her candidacy has been marked by several firestorms—most recently a theater incident and charges of carpetbagging, as she switched districts for a better chance to win—Boebert never lost her front-runner status with the Republican electorate. Her campaign leaned into hard-line policies, like shutting down the southern border, and her in-your-face, pugnacious style that seemed to connect with a faction of the electorate looking for highly disruptive political change.
In other high-profile Republican contests in Colorado, Attorney Jeff Hurd emerged in the primary for Boebert’s former seat in the 3rd District, setting up a candidacy that will be less controversial than her predecessor. Meanwhile, political consultant Jeff Crank prevailed over Trump-endorsed Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams in the 5th District. Crank’s win over Williams, who took heat from many in the party for his management and style of campaign, could be taken to represent a win for the more conventional, historic values of the Republican Party over the hard-right wing.
In Utah, Representative John Curtis won the GOP primary to replace Senator Mitt Romney. A moderate conservative, Curtis has often sparred with the former president. Victory for Curtis in the decidedly conservative, Mormon-dominated state of Utah thus seems to underscore deep reservations about Trumpian politics in the region. With the chiding of Trump, it was on the strength of his support elsewhere that Curtis managed to bring climate activists and others around to think he could be a candidate who is true to conservative values but willing to buck party orthodoxy.
For Democrats, Latimer’s win indicates a shift that might, more than anything else, be tactical in nature as they may now also look to the center in terms of candidacy to up their game in attracting more suburban districts. A similar approach is likely to be noted with the former CNN anchor John Avlon capturing the Democratic ticket on Long Island for the Republican Rep. Nick LaLota. In central New York, meanwhile, state Sen. John Mannion secured a hard-fought victory in a race where he was considered one of the favorites to face Republican Rep. Brandon Williams in a district that favors Democrats.
Wins by candidates like Boebert and Curtis tell the tale of the varied landscape Republicans occupy, ranging from hard-line conservatives to more moderate voices – a result of the tension between traditional GOP values and the far right’s influence, evidenced time and again in finding a way to steer the party in the general election and manage its internal schisms.
