Bowman clinches Working Families endorsement. Will he face primary against Latimer?

The progressive Working Families Party staked out its support for Rep. Jamaal Bowman with an early re-election endorsement on Friday as the second-term Democrat faces a potential primary battle against Westchester County Executive George Latimer.

The announcement by the state party and its Westchester-Putnam chapter lauded the 47-year-old congressman from Yonkers as the first Black representative of New York's 16th Congressional District and a champion of affordable housing, public education and youth programs.

"We know that Rep. Bowman will put the interests of working people before those of powerful real estate lobbyists and wealthy corporations,” chapter leaders Peter Bernstein and Jennifer Cabrera said in a joint statement.

A Democratic primary for Bowman's seat?

Latimer, a seasoned politician who has held public offices for 35 years and is serving his second and final term as county executive, told the USA Today Network in October that he was still weighing a congressional run after supporters began urging him months earlier to challenge Bowman. He returned on Thursday from a four-day trip to Israel and has made no announcement yet about his decision.

A heated and potentially big-spending primary for a safe Democratic seat would be an unexpected twist in a battleground state for House races next year. Republicans and Democrats are preparing to fight for seven swing seats in New York that will help decide which party wins a majority in November.

Not on the radar was the heavily Democratic 16th District, which takes in the southern half of Westchester County and a sliver of the Bronx. Bowman, who was a Bronx middle school principal when he decided to enter politics, won the seat in 2020 by trouncing longtime Rep. Eliot Engel in a primary and easily fended off Democratic challengers in last year's race.

Two other Democrats have entered the 16th District race for 2024: Michael Gerald, a former state trooper and undersheriff who works in Latimer's administration as deputy correction commissioner; and Marty Dolan, an investor and financial adviser.

Potential primary: Latimer still weighing possible bid for Congress against fellow Democrat Bowman

Bowman's position on Israel divided local Jewish community

Part of what fueled this year's quest for a challenger was Bowman's criticism of the Israeli government, which had increasingly alienated many Jewish leaders and constituents. Those feelings intensified after the brutal Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas and ensuing war in Gaza, particularly after Bowman dissented from most of his House colleagues by opposing a resolution in support of Israel.

More than two dozen Westchester rabbis said they were fed up with Bowman and urged Latimer to run in a letter in October. Jewish supporters of Bowman, in turn, rallied by him with an open letter defending his position and urging Latimer not to run. Indivisible and other progressive groups issued a similar plea to Latimer in November.

Bowman now has the Working Families Party behind him as well, which could mean funding and campaign support from activists in a primary. In their endorsement announcement, party leaders suggested those efforts could be better spent on trying to unseat Republican Reps. Mike Lawler and Marc Molinaro, both freshmen with districts to the north of Bowman's.

“We hope to see a unified effort to re-elect Rep. Bowman, so we can focus on the critical work of building the infrastructure to flip red seats in neighboring districts,” said Jasmine Gripper, co-executive director of New York's Working Families Party.

The Working Families Party endorses Democratic candidates who support its positions — as it did for Latimer in his two county executive runs — and offers them its third-party ballot line to boost their vote totals in general elections. Sometimes, it helps primary challengers take on Democratic incumbents who are seen as too centrist or unsupportive of the party's priorities.

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In the case of a potential Bowman-Latimer primary, defending a progressive incumbent against a more centrist challenger would be something of a role reversal for the party.

Latimer, 70, has led Westchester since he unseated Republican Rob Astorino in 2017. He has won every race as he ascended from Rye councilman to higher offices, including state senator. He is barred by law from seeking a third term as county executive and is due to leave office at the end of 2025.

Latimer traveled to Israel this week as part of a group of 11 elected officials and Jewish leaders from Westchester to show solidarity with the country in the midst of its war against Hamas. The trip was organized by the Westchester Jewish Council and included stops at Kfar Aza, a kibbutz where Hamas terrorists slaughtered civilians in their homes; at Hadassah Hospital, where the group met wounded soldiers; and a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Chris McKenna covers government and politics for The Journal News and USA Today Network. Reach him at cmckenna@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Bowman gets Working Families nod. Will he face primary with Latimer?