WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The Democratic primary here Tuesday between “Squad” member Rep. Jamaal Bowman and his challenger, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, will test the strength of labor union ties.
At a Sunday rally with the Westchester Civil Service Employees Association Local 860, Mr. Latimer said his support from the union defies Mr. Bowman’s charge that the Latimer campaign lacks grassroots and is propped up by billionaires.
“When my opponent in the race, the incumbent, says he has the many and I have the money, I know that’s not accurate,” Mr. Latimer told the union crowd.
He said his union supporters span every pay grade of civil service employees, from the secretaries to the caseworkers and supervisors.
“They go home, like my mom and dad did, to their family and figure out, ‘How do I put food on the table? How do I buy the kids the right clothes,’” he said.
Mr. Latimer also touted his “working relationship” with other union workers such as nurses, teamsters, electricians and firefighters.
That support, according to the Latimer campaign, contributes to the army of volunteers in a get-out-the-vote drive for Mr. Latimer in what has become one of the most expensive congressional primaries this year.
The primary is challenging the staying power of far-left Democrats as the party splits over the Israel-Hamas war, immigration and other hot-button issues.
Democratic socialist Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont and fellow “Squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York have joined in framing the race as a contest of the many vs. the money.
“The special interest group, AIPAC, they are spending more money in this race than has ever been spent in congressional primary history. They have money. We have the many,” Mr. Bowman said at a rally Friday.
He balked at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) pouring $15 million into ads to help Mr. Latimer oust him in New York’s 16th Congressional District, which includes a slice of the northern Bronx and southern Westchester County.
Mr. Bowman, like other far-left Democrats, alienated the party’s Jewish base by accusing Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of genocide in Gaza.
Mr. Bowman is trailing by double digits in the polls, with a recent Emerson College poll showing him 17 points behind Mr. Latimer.
The incumbent is now banking on a strong turnout to pull off a win.
“This is a turnout race, y’all,” he told the rally crowd. “This is not about persuasion. We got our people. We got us.”
The Bowman campaign mobilized hundreds of progressive activists including Sunrise Movement and the Justice Democrats to knock on doors over the weekend to urge residents to take advantage of early voting which ended Sunday.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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