Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s (D-NY) career in Congress will end after a single term following a series of antisemitic controversies and a Capitol stunt resulting in his criminal conviction.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer defeated Bowman Tuesday night in the most expensive House race in history. AdImpact estimated the two camps spent a total of $23 million on the Democrat primary, according to filings compiled by OpenSecrets.
The race was called for Latimer less than a half hour after polls closed.
The primary in New York’s 16th Congressional District centered around a referendum on Israel-Palestinian policy and drew significant national attention. Bowman, the progressive former middle school principal and member of “The Squad,” represented the insurgent Hamas sympathizer wing of the Democrat Party, while Latimer, supported by the pro-Israel lobby, condemned Hamas’s attack on Israel.
Bowman opposes Israel’s military operations in Gaza, while Latimer has not called for a ceasefire but supports a two-state solution.
Additionally, Bowman had denied Hamas raped women during the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel (he apologized under immense political pressure) and ridiculed another House member for hosting Jewish leaders, among other instances, which drew accusations of antisemitism.
Those were not the only controversies to overwhelm Bowman.
Jamaal Bowman pleaded guilty in October 2023 to one misdemeanor for falsely pulling a fire alarm in a congressional office building a month prior, just as lawmakers were about to vote on a short-term government funding measure to avoid a government shutdown.
He had faced six months jail time, but in a plea deal, he agreed to pay a $1,000 fine and write an apology to Capitol Police.
Bowman claimed at the time he had pulled the fire alarm because he was trying to open emergency doors in order to go vote. However, Breitbart News first broke exclusively that Bowman threw emergency warning signs to the floor before pulling the alarm and running down a set of stairs before exiting the building from another floor, contradicting his claims.
Bowman hosted fellow Squad member and New York delegation compatriot Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Ortez (D-NY) as well as progressive icon Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in a bizarre and profane campaign rally the weekend before the primary.
It was not enough.
Bowman is expected to continue serving out his term until January 2025.
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
