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'Dangerous Precedent': Record AIPAC Spending Helps George Latimer Defeat Jamaal Bowman
"Jamaal and our movement were such a threat to right-wing power, to GOP megadonors, and to AIPAC's influence in Congress that they had to spend $15 million to defeat us," said one progressive organizer.
Jun 26, 2024
Progressive Rep. Jamaal Bowman lost his reelection bid in New York's 16th Congressional District on Tuesday to an establishment-backed county official whose campaign was propelled by nearly $15 million in spending by AIPAC's Republican-funded super PAC.
The United Democracy Project's (UDP) spending made the Democratic primary contest the most expensive House race in U.S. history. According to a Sludgeanalysis of independent election expenditures dating back to 2001, UDP's $14.5 million onslaught to oust Bowman was "more than any other group besides those affiliated with a political party has ever spent on a House election."
The investment paid off, with Westchester County Executive George Latimer leading Bowman by a margin of 58% to 42% with close to 90% of the vote counted in the 16th District, which was redrawn ahead of the 2022 midterms to include more of suburban Westchester County and less of the Bronx.
Bowman, a former Bronx middle school principal who won his House seat in 2020 by defeating AIPAC favorite Eliot Engel, said in his concession speech late Tuesday that "we should be outraged when a super PAC of dark money can spend $20 million to brainwash people into believing something that isn't true."
"When we say 'Free Palestine,' it is not antisemitic," said Bowman, one of the House's most vocal critics of Israel's assault on Gaza. A majority of Democratic voters in the U.S. believe Israel is committing genocide in the Palestinian enclave, according to a recent survey.
"I would like to make a public apology for sometimes using foul language," he added, referring to remarks he made during a rally over the weekend. "But we should not be well-adjusted to a sick society."
"If you stand by while far-right groups try to buy elections, you further alienate and disillusion the young voters and voters of color you need to reelect Joe Biden this November."
Alexandra Rojas of Justice Democrats, the progressive group that recruited Bowman for the 2020 contest against Engel, said late Tuesday that "Jamaal and our movement were such a threat to right-wing power, to GOP megadonors, and to AIPAC's influence in Congress that they had to spend $15 million to defeat us."
"This demonstrates the power of our people-funded movement, the strength that any single progressive with the moral clarity to stand up to far-right interests has, and just how on defense AIPAC really is," said Rojas. "AIPAC knows the future is not on their side, so they have no choice but to overwhelm, confuse, and depress voters with a flood of dark money to generate support for their candidates. That's exactly why they pledged to spend an unprecedented $100 million to unseat the Squad this year."
Rojas said her organization is now turning its attention to Rep. Cori Bush's (D-Mo.) August 6 primary against St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, whose campaign is backed by AIPAC and Republican donors—including a billionaire CEO from St. Louis.
"We cannot give in to hopelessness or cynicism—we must fight back, NOW," said Rojas. "Let's come together in this difficult moment and do what it takes to stop AIPAC from unseating another one of our progressive champions this summer."
While Bowman fell to Latimer, another Squad member—Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)—cruised to victory in her primary, winning more than 80% of the vote against investment banker Marty Dolan. AIPAC's super PAC did not spend in the race, according to available disclosures.
"Wall Street came for us again, and the people prevailed," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter following her victory. "Thank you to the Bronx and Queens for choosing me to be your congresswoman."
Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.), another Squad member, also fended off a primary challenge earlier this year, overcoming a torrent of right-wing dark money. AIPAC sat out this year's race after failing to defeat Lee in 2022.
But Emgage, a PAC that works to turn out Muslim American voters, said Tuesday that Bowman's defeat at the hands of a candidate loaded with UDP cash "sets a dangerous precedent for groups like AIPAC to influence local elections and crush people-led politics."
"It should sound the alarm for Democrats and Americans across the country who believe in collective organizing to advance positive change for communities that are often sidelined in American politics," the group said. Axiosreported Wednesday that some House Democrats are quietly "grumbling" about AIPAC's massive spending to defeat Bowman.
"The number is gross... I don't like it," one unnamed Democratic lawmaker told the outlet.
Aru Shiney-Ajay, executive director of the youth-led Sunrise Movement, echoed Emgage's message, saying in a statement that "Democrats should see this race as a massive warning for November."
"If you stand by while far-right groups try to buy elections, you further alienate and disillusion the young voters and voters of color you need to reelect Joe Biden this November," said Shiney-Ajay. "Here's my warning to Democratic leadership: reject AIPAC, or risk losing your own base."
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Bowman v. Latimer Is About Whether Billionaires Control Congress, Says Sanders
The Democratic incumbent's defeat in New York, the senator warns, "would be a message to every member of Congress that if you oppose corporate interests the billionaire class will take you down."
Jun 18, 2024
With early voting already underway in New York, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders warned Tuesday that Westchester County Executive George Latimer's primary challenge to Democratic Congressman Jamaal Bowman in the state's 16th District is ultimately about the power of the ultrarich.
"The Democratic primary between Rep. Jamaal Bowman and George Latimer is not just a clash of two very different points of view. It is a clash over the future of the Democratic Party and the future of American politics," said Sanders (I-Vt.). "It is a clash over whether we will have, at least minimally, a democratic form of government in which Congress represents the needs of ordinary Americans, or whether Congress will be completely controlled by the billionaire class and corporate interests."
Sanders' statement came as the senator prepares to rally with Bowman on Friday at MacEachron Park in Hastings-on-Hudson. On Saturday, they are set to be joined by Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents New York's 14th District, for a get-out-the-vote rally at St. Mary's Park in the Bronx. The official primary date is June 25.
Bowman—a critic of the U.S.-backed Israeli war on Gaza—has been the top congressional target of pro-Israel lobbying groups during this cycle. In fact, largely thanks to spending by a group tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), "it had become the nation's most expensive House primary this year," Gannett reported this week.
United Democracy Project (UPD), an AIPAC-affiliated super political action committee (PAC), has spent over $14 million on advertising for the contest, according to AdImpact. The group is followed by Latimer—who filed paperwork for his campaign after visiting Israel and was accused of "straight up Islamophobia" during a debate with Bowman last week.
"Latimer's campaign will attract more billionaire super PAC money than any primary race in history," Sanders said Tuesday. "The donors behind these super PACs, AIPAC's United Democracy Project and the crypto-backed Fairshake, are not only spending a huge amount of money to support Latimer's campaign, but are also making large donations to right-wing extremist Republican candidates."
"For the billionaires who control these super PACs, it doesn't matter much whether you are a Democrat or a Republican. It only matters that you support the corporate agenda and Establishment neo-con foreign policies," he continued. "The defeat of Bowman would not only result in the loss of a strong, progressive member of Congress, it would be a message to every member of Congress that if you oppose corporate interests the billionaire class will take you down. We must not allow that to happen."
Sharing Sanders' full remarks on social media, Bowman said that "AIPAC and their Republican billionaire donors are using NY16 as a test. They think they can buy our district—but we won't let them. On June 25th it's the many v. the money, and we will win."
Fellow "Squad" member Ocasio-Cortez also took aim at AIPAC on social media Tuesday, declaring that it is "time to rally."
"Big money, from AIPAC to Wall Street, have poured millions to buy this election," she said, urging participation in the Saturday rally. "To win, we must mobilize thousands."
In addition to targeting Bowman, AIPAC, UDP, and wealthy right-wingers are working to oust another Squad member: Democratic Congresswoman Cori Bush, who is facing St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell the August 6 primary for Missouri's 1st District.
"We've got your back, Jamaal Bowman!" Bush declared on social media last week. "From St. Louis to the Bronx, I know the people will stand with us to show that we are #NotForSale!"
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'It's Officially Begun': AIPAC's Dark Money Super PAC Targets Cori Bush
"Organized people beats organized money, and our community is ready to show that St. Louis is not for sale," said the Missouri Democrat.
May 28, 2024
A pro-Israel lobby group's super political action committee trying to unseat progressive members of Congress who condemn the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip is this week pouring over a quarter-million dollars into advertising against Rep. Cori Bush.
Jacob Rubashkin of Inside Electionshighlighted on social media Tuesday that the United Democracy Project (UDP) is spending at least $216,310 on broadcast and $16,193 on radio.
Politicoreported that "data tracked by AdImpact show approximately $320,000 in ad reservations for cable, radio, satellite, and other formats" from the super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) through next week.
While the Missouri Democrat has three primary challengers as she campaigns for a third term in the 1st Congressional District, her top opponent in the August 6 primary is St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, who is backed by AIPAC and Republican billionaires.
"UDP, AIPAC, and their extensive network of far-right billionaires, anti-abortion extremists, and GOP megadonors have been promising to spend millions in their effort to defeat me ever since they first bribed my opponent to enter this race," Bush said in a statement to Politico. "Unfortunately for them, organized people beats organized money, and our community is ready to show that St. Louis is not for sale."
Bush delivered a similar message on social media, responding to Rubashkin's post.
Supporters of Bush also took to social media to denounce UDP's spending effort in Missouri.
"AIPAC, the Republican-bankrolled group that is investing $100 million in unseating progressives in their own primaries, is turning its focus to Cori Bush," said the Working Families Party (WFP). "Why? Because she uses her power to fight for the needs of the people—not Republican billionaires."
"We don't have the hundreds of millions AIPAC does, but we do have the people," added WFP, which has endorsed the "Squad" member. "And we know the power of the people is greater than the people in power."
Jewish Voice for Peace Action declared: "Back off, AIPAC. The people are not going to let you come for Cori Bush. Cori is fighting for justice and freedom for all of us—from St. Louis to Gaza. We won't allow far-right GOP megadonors to pit our communities against one another."
Justice Democrats also took aim at AIPAC and its affiliate, warning that "their GOP billionaires will spend millions against a former nurse and Missouri's greatest abortion rights champion—all to try and buy a seat in Congress at the expense of everyday people in St. Louis."
"If you support a champion for cease-fire, abortion rights, and our democracy against pro-genocide, pro-insurrection, anti-abortion GOP megadonors, support Cori Bush's campaign," said the progressive PAC, which also sent a fundraising email for Bush that points to the new UDP ad buys.
Another top target of UDP this cycle is Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), who will face AIPAC-endorsed Westchester County Executive George Latimer in their state's 16th Congressional District on June 25.
After UDP booked $1.9 million in television ads earlier this month, Bowman said that "this new ad spending in New York shows once and for all that my opponent, George Latimer, is bankrolled by a right-wing super PAC that has received over $40 million from Republican megadonors who want to defend Republican insurrectionists, overturn voting rights, and ban abortion nationwide."
Bowman said on social media Tuesday that "AIPAC has already spent $6 million against us!"
Noting Bowman's new video, Westchester-Putnam WFP said that "AIPAC doesn't care about our community needs. They want to defeat any congressperson that criticizes Israel. Meanwhile Israel and Hamas violate international war by killing innocent civilians."
Israel's military on Tuesday killed at least 21 Palestinians at a refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip—just two days after an Israeli airstrike and resulting fire in a Rafah "safe zone" killed 45 people and wounded hundreds more.
The new deaths and injuries in Gaza—on top of more than 36,000 Palestinians killed and 81,000 wounded since October—sparked fresh calls from progressive U.S. lawmakers for Congress and Democratic President Joe Biden to finally cut off weapons and diplomatic support to Israel.
"How many children have to die? We're past the red line," Bowman said Tuesday, referencing Biden's previous remarks. "It's time to stop sending military aid to Israel. Not one more dime. We need a permanent cease-fire now, a path to peace, and Palestinian self-determination. That is how we protect the lives of Israelis and Palestinians."
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