Old
Archived

Progressives on AIPAC’s Defeat of Jamaal Bowman: “Now We Know How Much It Costs to Buy an Election”

Despite the various factors that contributed to Jamaal Bowman's loss, progressive strategists said there was one clear takeaway from the results. 

Despite the various factors that contributed to Jamaal Bowman’s loss, progressive strategists said there was one clear takeaway from the results. 

Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s Tuesday upset defeat by Westchester County Executive George Latimer generated many perspectives on what exactly precipitated his downfall.

The New York Times published the headline “Bowman Falls in House Primary, Overtaken by Flood of Pro-Israel Money” — before swapping it out for “Bowman Falls to Latimer in a Loss for Progressive Democrats.” Other coverage emphasized that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s spending wasn’t the only factor in the race and that Bowman’s flaws made him particularly vulnerable, as did changed district lines that made his reelection even tougher. 

Progressive strategists, however, had a much more clear takeaway from the results.

“You don’t drop $15 million on an election if your positions are popular,” said Eva Borgwardt⁩, national spokesperson for the Jewish advocacy group IfNotNow, which endorsed Bowman. “This was an act of desperation from a pro-war lobby that is at odds with the majority of Americans, including American Jews.”

Borgwardt⁩ was referring to nearly $15 million spent on the race by AIPAC, the Israel lobby’s flagship in the U.S. Millions more poured in from AIPAC-aligned groups and donors, bringing the outside spending total to around $25 million.

Bowman’s supporters emphasized that AIPAC attacked him not only because of his criticism of human rights abuses in Israel, but also because he has supported progressive policies that are popular among the party’s base. 

CONTINUE READING ON THE INTERCEPT

Serena is the owner of the website and THE Zany Progressive. She writes educational content and current event posts. She's also the editor, so you will find her personal commentary before some of the news articles from other sources.

Related Posts

0 Shares
Share
Share
Pin
Tweet