Most elections come down to a referendum on the incumbent, and the question is asked, does the incumbent deserve re-election? That question will determine the outcome of the democratic primary on Aug. 23 in the 16th Congressional district in the Bronx and Westchester.
Does Congressman Jamaal Bowman deserve another two years representing Yonkers, and half of Westchester? Based on Rep. Bowman’s record, and the endorsements for Gashi from respected Westchester democrats, we endorse Vedat Gashi.
When democrats in the district cast their votes in this race, they will also ask does Congressman Bowman represent my views. The answer to that question, comes from former Congresswoman Nita Lowey, Assembly member Amy Paulin, and County Board of Legislators Chair Catherine Borgia. In their endorsements for Gashi, all three have given Bowman, a vote of no confidence.
Paulin writes, “I am writing to endorse Vedat Gashi in the Democratic primary race for Congress in the 16th Congressional District. Mr. Gashi is challenging Jamaal Bowman who, in his first term in Congress, has failed to adequately represent his constituents and does not deserve to be re- elected….. Vedat has received the enthusiastic endorsement of Nita Lowey, our former member of Congress, who represented many of the areas of the 16th CD in her three decades in Congress. Like me, she has never endorsed a candidate against a democratic incumbent before.”
Why did they endorse Gashi? The most common answer we hear from democrats is Bowman’s no vote against President Biden’s infrastructure bill. The bill passed without Bowman’s vote, because Bowman wanted another $5 Trillion personal infrastructure bill to be passed and linked together. When some democrats balked at this, Bowman bailed out.
Not only do most Westchester democrats believe that Bowman should have supported the President, and not the members of The Squad, but some wonder how much higher inflation would be if we added another $5 Trillion in spending, and debt.
Bowman’s lack of support for Israel is another reason that we hear from Westchester democrats about their support for Gashi. Former Congressman Eliot Engel has supported Gashi, and Engel and Lowey have been two of the strongest supporters of Israel, and both support Gashi.
Gashi also received a 100% rating from Choice Matters, and the endorsement from ProChoice Voter.
Does Jamaal Bowman represent the views of most democrats in Westchester, and does he deserve re-election based on his record? We will let the voters decide…But Go Gashi!
