Hillary Clinton on Wednesday endorsed the Democratic challenger running against vulnerable progressive Squad member Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., in a competitive House primary in New York.
In a post on X, Clinton threw her support behind Westchester County Executive George Latimer.
“With Trump on the ballot, we need strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever. 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,” she wrote. “Make a plan to vote by June 25th!”
In response to Clinton’s backing, Latimer said, “Her voice gives even more momentum to our grassroots campaign, which keeps gaining strength because we stand strongly and honestly for our values and for our belief in delivering meaningful results for the communities we serve,” Politico reported.
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Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks on stage during Vital Voices 3rd Annual Global Festival on May 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Vital Voices Global Partnership)
The endorsement came despite Bowman earlier in the day raising racism allegations against Latimer during an interview with Politico conducted in suburban Mount Vernon, N.Y.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-NY, speaks during a hearing with subcommittee members of the House Education and the Workforce committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on May 8, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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“He’s in the pocket of Republican billionaires who want to take our voting rights, our reproductive rights, affirmative action and who are racist,” Bowman reportedly told Politico of Latimer. “And he also is not just anti-Black racist, he’s anti-Muslim racist.”
During a debate hosted by Spectrum-News Tuesday, Latimer accused Bowman of neglecting residents in parts of Westchester County and the Bronx who are White or Asian.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer is running in the Democratic primary against incumbent Rep. Jamaal Bowman. (Westchester County )
“You don’t mention people who are not Black or brown. There’s a whole district, Jamaal, that you’ve ignored and the district knows you’ve ignored it,” Latimer said.
The primary face-off in New York’s 16th Congressional District comes amid divisions within the Democratic Party, as far-left progressives staunchly oppose Israel’s war in Gaza launched in response to the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas militants. Latimer receives backing from the pro-Israel AIPAC, and Latimer’s supporters have accused Bowman of trafficking anti-Semitic tropes and conspiracy theories.
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Bowman, competing for a third term, is supported in the race by fellow Democratic “Squad” members, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York. High-profile Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., also are backing Bowman.