Westchester County Executive George Latimer defeated Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) handily in Tuesday’s primary, making Bowman the first squad member to lose an election.
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He won’t be the last. Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) is on the edge of being ousted in her Democratic primary in August. Bush is currently tied in the polls with St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell.
In January, Bush was leading Bell by 16 points. Clearly, the same dynamic that upended Bowman is at work in Missouri.
There’s also the fact that scandal has tarnished Bush. She’s under multiple investigations from the Justice Department, the Federal Election Commission, and the House Ethics Committee for the misuse of campaign funds for personal security. She’s given several thousand dollars to her security guard, who also happens to be her husband.
The American-Israel Public Affairs Committee is backing Bell, as are other pro-Israel groups.
Unlike Bowman, Bush hasn’t been endorsed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) or his top deputies, Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.).
Those endorsements are forthcoming, two House Democratic leadership sources told Axios, with one saying they will happen “eventually.”
Aguilar said at a press conference on Wednesday: “I don’t think that’s a surprise to anybody that we’re endorsing our Democratic members.”
Jeffries declined to comment on his plans for endorsing Bush but signaled he may weigh in on the topic at his weekly press conference Thursday.
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“The pendulum has swung back,” said Jay Jacobs, chair of the New York Democratic Party. “It’s a clear indication that the Democratic Party has moved toward wanting common sense solutions, common sense governance and wants to favor those candidates, rather than those from the extreme.”
That remains to be seen. There are still plenty of radicals holding down seats in the Democratic Party and plenty of radical activists who impact policy and politics.
Can’t wait to see the Democratic platform at the Convention.
One of the most radical Democrats doesn’t like the effort to unseat a fellow radical.
“I think all Democrats should be able to see how bad this is for Democratic politics that there’s a huge amount of money coming in to influence a congressional race in a Democratic primary,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said in an interview.
Jayapal and other progressives insisted Bowman’s loss wouldn’t have sweeping implications for Bush or other progressive Democrats. But even they admitted that Tuesday’s outcome put them on the defensive.
“The message to progressives is, stand by your values but don’t make unnecessary mistakes that can allow you to be singled out by right wing billionaires who want to make an example of someone,” said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.
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“Unnecessary mistakes” like siding with the antisemites in Hamas?
Jamal Bowman lost!
Now let’s oust the next Hamas Squad thug:@CoriBush
She’s losing now to Attorney Wesley Bell.
Cori brought violent crime to Missouri and stole campaign funds for her security. She claimed she cured cancer. She called Trump a white supremacist.
Cancel Cori! pic.twitter.com/MGhDBDl5tc
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) June 26, 2024
That just about sums it up.