Radical progressive group Justice Democrats blamed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) for the blowout loss handed to Squad-a...
Radical progressive group Justice Democrats blamed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) for the blowout loss handed to Squad-aligned Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) in Tuesday’s primary election — and Jeffries’ spokesperson fired right back.
Bowman, who leaned into the anti-Israel protests after October 7th and was backed by other far-Left members of Congress like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), lost to George Latimer by 17 points.
According to New York’s Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs, the reason for Bowman’s loss was simple: “The voters in this district, and in other districts across the country, frankly, are just not buying some of the things that these candidates are selling. And now, moderate voters are getting engaged, they’re paying attention and they’re coming to the polls.”
But Usamah Andrabi, a spokesman for Justice Democrats, told The New York Times that the real problem was Jeffries — in spite of the fact that he had endorsed Bowman ahead of the primary.
“Jamaal Bowman is a model, not a warning, for what political leadership can look like,” he said. “The outcome of this election is a reflection on his leadership and whether Hakeem Jeffries stood up to Republican megadonors.”
Jeffries’ spokeswoman Christie Stephenson fired right back, arguing that her boss’ tenure would be judged based on whether he delivered a majority in the House in November. “The so-called Justice Democrats stated back in 2017 that their goal was to destroy the Democratic Party,” she said, noting that they had even threatened to primary Jeffries. “They have failed miserably in every way. Is anyone surprised?”
Bowman is not the only Squad-adjacent Democrat whose House seat is in jeopardy. Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), who also aligned herself with the anti-Israel protesters in the aftermath of October 7th, is facing a tough primary challenge from St. Louis prosecuting attorney Wesley Bell.
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