Lawler’s 17th CD Could Change to Benefit a Democrat, But Would Hamper Latimer from Challenging Bowman in CD 17
On Oct. 16, Scarsdale10583.com printed a letter from 26 Rabbis asking Westchester County Executive George Latimer to challenge Congressman Jamaal Bowman in a democratic primary next year. “Since being elected, Bowman has led the effort to erode support for Israel on Capitol Hill and within the Democratic Party. That’s why we’re turning to you, in the hope that you will announce your candidacy for Congress and restore our values to this important seat in Washington,” write the Rabbis.
And despite some contested local elections this year in Westchester on Nov. 7, and other news like the upheaval for Speaker of the House, and the international crises in the Middle East and Ukraine, occupying our attention, some are more focused on Election Day 2024.
Westchester’s two congressional districts, Rep. Bowman’s 16th Congressional District, and Rep. Mike Lawler’s 17th Congressional District, might still be redrawn before next year, pending an outcome from the NYS Court of Appeals.
New York State Democrats, still smarting from losing four House seats to the GOP in 2022, are hoping that the courts will allow the democratic controlled state legislature to take one more attempt at redrawing the congressional lines.
One of the districts democrats hope to redraw and retake is Lawler’s NY-16. Lawler won his seat by just 1,800 votes two years ago, defeating Sean Patrick Maloney. The Democratic plans, as rumored, would shift more Democratic Westchester voters into Lawler’s CD 17, and add Bronx voters to make up the loss in Rep. Bowman’s 16-District.
From a partisan standpoint this would give the Dems as better shot at retaking CD 17, and it would give NY Democrats a chance to have the same two African Americans who won their seats in 2020 represent Westchester again in 2024: Bowman in CD 16 and Mondaire Jones in CD 17.
The shift is rumored to be placing White Plains and Scarsdale in CD 17; those two Democratic communities would potentially tip the scales toward a Democrat. Lawler’s narrow 2022 win, in which he lost Westchester by 20,000 votes, could be the margin of victory for former Congressman Jones, or another democrat seeking to challenge Lawler, Liz Geraghty of Lewisboro.
To compensate for the loss of voters in CD 16, the lines would move south and add more North Bronx turf, likely including CoOp City. This would greatly advantage Bowman who has lost support among Westchester groups in the Jewish community and in the business community, as he has pursued an agenda in sync with The Squad, the ultra-left faction of House members.
Particularly on issues with Israel, Bowman benefits by a loss of Westchester Jewish Democratic areas, supplanting them with heavily African American voters in the Bronx. If the NYS Court of Appeals allows state democrats one more change to fairly redraw the congressional lines, it would reduce that chances that Latimer, the popular Westchester County Executive who has been urged to primary Bowman, would have any path to victory in that primary.
That shift could leave Bowman without a significant “Big Name” democratic primary challenge, although two Westchester democrats Marty Dolan from Irvington, and Michael Gerald from Tuckahoe have already announced they will primary Bowman.
One Westchester democrat told us, “It’s unfortunate that “The vast middle of independents, moderate
Democrats and moderate Republicans, are squeezed out as the two extreme bases battle for power in America, with Republicans seeking to satisfy Donald Trump and his hard right base, and NY Democrats wanting to satisfy the macro needs of their African American base, and the far left DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) part off the party.”
A decision by the court on redistricting is expected next month (November).
The letter to Latimer from the Rabbis reads: “We are rabbis from across the Jewish denominational spectrum. While we represent congregations and organizations throughout New York’s 16th Congressional District, today, we are writing in our personal capacities, to urge you to announce your run for Congress.
“Three years ago, Jamaal Bowman unseated Eliot Engel and brought a deeply concerning agenda to Washington. Many of us tried to engage the Congressman early in his term, seeking constructive dialogue about the damaging positions he took – especially on matters related to America’s relationship with Israel. Regrettably, Congressman Bowman disregarded our outreach and doubled down on his anti-Israel policy positions and messaging.
“Last April, many of us signed an open letter to Bowman citing his troubling record and urging him to change course. We were once again met with silence – and then, even more damaging actions in Congress. Bowman boycotted President Herzog’s historic speech, refused to sign a resolution that rejected Israel as a racist or apartheid state, and voted against legislation supporting the Abraham Accords and celebrating Israel’s 75th anniversary of statehood.
“Last week, more than 1,300 Israelis were brutally massacred by Hamas terrorists. Thousands of others were physically, sexually, and psychologically injured, to say nothing of the nearly 200 taken hostage. Your statement of unequivocal support for our ally was immensely appreciated by our community.
“Inexplicably, but predictably, while Congressman Bowman condemned the attacks, he put the blame on Israel for its “blockade of Gaza.” He now is calling for an immediate ceasefire, effectively a position of appeasement toward Hamas’s terror regime.
“Since being elected, Bowman has led the effort to erode support for Israel on Capitol Hill and within the Democratic Party. That’s why we’re turning to you, in the hope that you will announce your candidacy for Congress and restore our values to this important seat in Washington.
Your election would be a vital course correction from the last three years. We are behind you, and we know that our communities will strongly support you if you enter the race. Your remarks at the Westchester Jewish Council Community Rally on Tuesday, October 10th, gave us great hope that you would bring the same unflinching moral courage and conviction to an office where it is desperately needed at this crucial time.
We look forward to hearing from you soon and continuing our dialogue.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Jonathan E. Blake
Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz
Rabbi Chaim Axelrod
Rabbi Sasha Baken
Rabbi Adam Baldachin
Rabbi Lester Bronstein
Rabbi Jeffrey Brown
Rabbi Leah Citrin
Rabbi Menachem Creditor
Rabbi Reuven Fink
Rabbi Leora Frankel
Rabbi Howard Goldsmith
Rabbi Daniel Gropper
Rabbi Shmuel Hain
Rabbi Evan Hoffman
Rabbi David Holtz
Rabbi Nuriel Klinger
Rabbi Binyamin Krauss
Rabbi Chaim Marder
Rabbi Jonathan Morgenstern
Rabbi Daniel Reiser
Rabbi David Schuck
Rabbi Zach Sitkin
Rabbi Jay Stein
Rabbi Annie Tucker
Rabbi Scott Weiner
