Two progressive groups have come in to try to help Congressman Jamaal Bowman in his reelection bid to represent the 16th District, which includes parts of the Bronx, Yonkers, Mt. Vernon, New Rochelle, and lower-mid Westchester County.
J Street has purchased a $100,000 digital ad buy for Bowman in the final days before the primary, and the Working Families Party of NY has ramped up its door knocking campaign for Bowman.
One of Bowman’s two democratic opponents in the primary, to be held on Aug. 23 and currently in early voting now County Legislator Vedat Gashi, continues to build momentum, with even Bowman supporters conceeding that the race is not “closer than anyone expected.”
J Street, which several media reports have characterized as “morphing into an anti-Israel organization,” announced a $200,000 digital ad buy for Rep. Bowman and for Rep. Jerry Nadler. “Jerry and Jamaal are progressive champions with a long list of accomplishments. Their strong support for Israel’s security sits alongside the leadership they’ve shown on protecting Palestinian freedoms, upholding international law and supporting a just and peaceful end to the conflict,” said Kevin Rachlin, Vice President of Public Affairs. “We know New Yorkers face a difficult choice next week, but the truth is that we simply cannot afford to lose principled leaders like Jerry and Jamaal. J Street’s national team and local chapters are proud to stand by both of them.”
The spot for Congressman Bowman highlights his ties to the local community. “He never forgot where he came from,” a voice-over notes, before touting his work investing in flood prevention, securing resources for schools and working on community safety and violence prevention.
“New York has a large pro-Israel, pro-peace community in both Jewish and Democratic circles, and it’s vital that our liberal values and nuanced, principled views around Israeli-Palestinian issues are reflected by our leaders,” Rachlin said.
Most supporters of Israel are not supporting Bowman, and several pro-Israel media outlets have criticized Bowman’s votes against Israel. And three supporters of Gashi, former Congressmembers Nita Lowey and Eliot Engel, and Assemblymember Amy Paulin, are also among the strongest supporters of Israel. One Westchester Democrat posted on Facebook, “The incumbent, (Bowman) sadly, has supported House Resolution 1123, which asks the US to call the creation of Israel a “Catastrophe.”
Look for Bowman’s ad on cable this weekend.
Several Westchester democrats have contacted us after receiving a knock on their door from the Working Families Party of NY. The message was to vote for Bowman, but apparently, a few WFP volunteers may have said a little too much.
“I’m still open to voting for either Bowman or Gashi, so I listened and asked questions. I was told that the race between Bowman and Gashi is so close that the WFP took their volunteers off the campaign of Biaggi (running for Congress in NY-17) to help Bowman. They said to me, it’s closer than anyone expected so we need you to vote for Bowman.”
