By Dan Murphy
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has taken notice that one of her fellow squad members, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, is in jeopardy of losing his democratic primary to Westchester County Executive George Latimer. AOC and Senator Bernie Sanders are planning to come to Westchester and the Bronx for Bowman this weekend.
But it might be too little too late, and several Westchester democrats believe that AOC and Sanders will not attract any of the small number of undecided voters left in the upcoming Bowman-Latimer democratic primary on June 25.
The focus for the Bowman campaign may now be to get out its base of supporters, who are members of the Working Families Party, Westchester Progressives, Indivisible Westchester, Jews for Jamaal and Protect Our Power. So, it has brought in two of the democratic party’s most progressive members and recognizable faces; AOC and Senator Bernie Sanders.
Sanders will come to Hastings on Hudson for a rally for Bowman on June 21 from 4-530pm at MacEachron Park, 44 W Main St, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706
And on June 22, Sanders and AOC will rally with Bowman in the Bronx, from 11am-2pm, at St. Mary’s Park, 450 St. Ann’s Ave, Bronx, NY 10455.
The political calculation in the Bowman campaign is that if they can motivate their voters they can still win. Younger voters are also a target for Bowman’s campaign in the final days.
According to City & State, Bowman (https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2024/06/jamaal-bowman-has-given-changing-minds-turnout-his-only-hope/397406/?oref=csny-homepage-top-story) told a crowd of supporters to “quit your jobs” and help the campaign in the final week. Bowman told the group his predictions of what will happen in his primary race against Latimer.
I-Record voter turnout in the first days of early voting and on election day.
II -“It’s going to get into the evening, and we’re going to be watching the news, and at about 10:30 p.m., some news anchor is going to say, ‘I have seen enough. Congressman Jamaal Bowman has won his primary in spite of AIPAC spending the most amount of money ever. I’m not going to lose.”
AOC wrote, “As we speak, AIPAC and corporate lobby interests are pouring tens of millions of dollars to unseat @jamaalbowmanny and stoke cynicism in our own district in to tear apart working people and the movement from the inside. Why? Because we are some of the only members of Congress to stand up for the dignity of Palestinians, demand a ceasefire, and not accept a single dime from special interests and corporate lobbies – from Wall Street banks to defense contractors. We will not let them win. In order to prevail, we must put out a call to all who care for progress and believe in taking action to advance and protect change. We will be rallying next Saturday alongside @berniesanders, @jamaalbowmanny, labor and social movement leaders, and more to turn out canvassers, votes, and organizing from NYC to Westchester County. Reject cynicism, defeatism, and distraction. A better world is possible. It is our responsibility to bring it forth. See you next week.
AOC, who graduated from Yorktown High School in Westchester, told the NY Times, “I cannot think of a single race that better exemplifies the battle, frankly for our democracy, between everyday people choosing their representation and big money coming in and choosing it for them.”
Latimer’s supporters include Hillary Clinton, whose recent endorsement included, “With Trump on the ballot, we need strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever. In Congress, George Latimer will protect abortion rights, stand up to the NRA, and fight for President Biden’s agenda—just like he’s always done. Make a plan to vote by June 25th!”
Another criticism of Bowman and his congressional staff is that they never return calls or perform constituent services. Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner said, “I deal with thousands of complaints a year and do it personally, and I reach out to every elected official,” said Paul Feiner, the town supervisor of Greenburgh. “I practically never get a response from his office.”
“People everywhere need to understand how disgusting and abnormal it is for special interests to dump nearly $15 Million to unseat a member of congress in a primary. This is corruption. It is a core threat to American democracy. It also fuels Trump. Support Jamaal Bowman,” said AOC.
Total spending on the race has now reached $22 Million, which includes $7 Million for Bowman.
A poll in April had Latimer up by 17 points with 13% undecided. A more recent Emerson poll had it 48% for Latimer and 31% for Bowman, with 21% still undecided. So there are democrats in the district who still need to make up their minds before June 25.
