Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Hillary Clinton on Wednesday made the rare move of endorsing the primary opponent of a sitting House Democrat. Clinton, the former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, remains a leading voice in her party and has decided that Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) needs to go.
“With Trump on the ballot, we need strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever,” wrote Clinton on X, adding:
In Congress, @LatimerforNY 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!
Westchester County Executive George Latimer wrote in reply, “I’m honored to have the support of @HillaryClinton, whose decades of service are an inspiration.”
I’m honored to have the support of @HillaryClinton, whose decades of service are an inspiration.
Early Voting kicks off on Saturday. Vote Early before 6/23, or vote on 6/25. Just make sure you vote for #RealResultsNotRhetoric! https://t.co/6ZUPliMFhZ
— George Latimer (@LatimerforNY) June 12, 2024
The race between Latimer and Bowman is one of the more hotly contested primaries in the country. CNN’s Manu Raju wrote last month that it is “the most competitive primary an incumbent House Democrat is facing anywhere in the country.” Bowman, a progressive Democrat and member of the so-called “Squad,” has been under fire within his own party over his strong criticism of Israel during its war against Hamas in Gaza following Oct. 7th.
“He’s gone far enough out that even the left-leaning Israel advocacy group J Street withdrew its endorsement of Bowman in January, complaining that he had crossed a line in putting the blame for the conflict too much on Israel and not on Hamas,” reported Raju in May, adding:
Now even many of Bowman’s fellow New York Democrats in Congress say privately they doubt he will win – but more than that, when asked by CNN, several pointedly refused to say that they want Bowman to win, or that they would support him as the race enters its final month ahead of the June 25 primary.
Bowman was also censured by the House last December after he pulled a fire alarm in an apparent effort to disrupt a vote. Bowman initially claimed he “mistakenly” pulled the alarm while rushing to vote. However, security footage was later made public that clearly showed the congressman calmly taking down warning signs on blocked exit doors noting that a fire alarm would sound if doors were opened before eventually pulling the alarm.
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