New Democrats, Bowman, Jones and Rocah
The election of 2020 in marks the end of two legendary Westchester political carerrs that spanned 4 decades, with the retirements of Westchester congressmembers Nita Lowey and Eliot Engel. Both “retired” in different ways: Lowey declined to run for a 17th term, while Engel was defeated in a democratic primary.
Replacing Rep. Lowey is Mondaire Jones, who first defeated seven other democrats in the June 23 primary, and then on Nov 3., defeated three other candidates to become the first openly gay African-American member of the House of Representatives, representing the 17the Congressional district, which includes mid-northern Westchester and Rockland County.
Jamaal Bowman also won the democratic primary and then easily won election on Nov. 3, in the 16th District, which includes most of Westchester County and the Bronx.
Both Jones and Bowman are already being referrred to, and welcomed into “The Squad” of four democratic, progressive members of Congress, led by “AOC” Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.
“The Squad has doubled in size. These congressional candidates won by not accepting corporate donations, promoting universal healthcare, and fighting for a Green New Deal. We are glad to support Jamaal Bowman in his historic upset victory,” said Justice Democrats.
“We are growing the squad”, “we have doubled the squad” and “meet the new squad,” have all been promoted and posted by liberal and progressive democratic organizations welcoming Bowman to Washington DC next month. “Jamaal Bowman is Ready to Join the Squad, “wrote the Atlantic.
“The wealthy elite, the 1/10 of 1%, needs to pay their fair share in taxes. We need to tax capital gains and Wall Street and its transactions more than we currently do. And large corporations also need to pay their fair share of taxes as well,” said Bowman.
Mondaire Jones told the people of Westchester after his election, “Growing up, I never imagined someone like me could run for Congress, let alone get elected. To grow up poor, Black, and gay is to not see yourself anywhere. Now, I am humbled by the trust voters in Westchester and Rockland have placed in me, and grateful for the opportunity to serve the community that raised me in the United States Congress.
“The need to dream big has never been more urgent. We must secure our right to a livable future. A future where everyone is paid a living wage for their labor, and no one goes hungry or homeless because they can’t afford to live is a future worth fighting for. A future where everyone has quality health care, where we save the planet from climate catastrophe, and where a quality public education is a right guaranteed to all. A future where racial justice is, once and for all, obtained for communities of color throughout this nation. “
“Together, let’s recommit to that fight –– but first take a moment to celebrate the movement that brought us here. This victory is for the people of Westchester and Rockland Counties, whose stories energized me every day of this campaign. This victory is also for the many hundreds of volunteers who worked tirelessly for months to elect someone the political establishment counted out. Together, we organized our community, in the truest sense of the word, to fight for the better world that we know is possible.
I am so humbled to have earned your trust, and I do not take it lightly. We’ve got so many more fights to win. And I’m ready to get to work,” said Jones, who has also been welcomed to “The Squad” in DC, by grassroots movements including Our Revolution.
One Westchester democrat told Rising newspapers that Westchester residents should expect Bowman and Jones to push Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in the same way that AOC has. “Nita and Eliot were more team players, and spent the past 30 years with Nancy Pelosi. Bowman and Jones have no loyalty to the Speaker. Their Speaker of the House is AOC. Also remember that Lowey and Engel had very progressive voting records, so it may not be that much of a tangible difference. But look for both to be more outspoken.”
The third elected, progressive democrat in Westchester on Nov. 3 was Mimi Rocah, who was elected to serve as Westchester District Attorney with 64% of the vote.
Rocah’s progressivism could become apparent in matters of crime, policing and the BLM movement. “I know that this is an unsettling time, and will continue to be until every vote is counted in every race. But, in Westchester, the voters have spoken and I am honored and humbled to let you know that, thanks to your support, I am now Westchester County’s District Attorney-Elect. While there are still absentee ballots to be counted, our strong margin of victory is insurmountable, and we now begin the important phase of setting up a transition and bringing real reform to this vital office.
“To that end, I want you to be the first to know that two widely-respected, veteran law enforcement leaders in New York, and Westchester residents, have agreed to serve as Co-Chairs of my Transition Team: Zachary Carter, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; and Leroy Frazer, former Senior Executive for several District Attorneys. I will be announcing the rest of our exciting Transition Team in the coming days.
“This has been a difficult year for many of us — we have battled the coronavirus pandemic, economic recession, faced a reckoning on racial injustice, and acknowledged a loss of faith in many of our public institutions. The importance of transparent leadership at the local level that is focused on integrity and fairness has never been more clear,” said Rocah.
