EXCLUSIVE: The moderate Democrat who defeated “Squad” member Rep. Jamaal Bowman suggests the party’s voter base is largely pro-Israel.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer’s victory in late June was a decisive rebuke of the Democrats’ left-most flank, ending what was the most expensive primary election in U.S. history.
The fight was part of a wider fracture within the Democratic Party created by Israel’s war in Gaza.
“When I won the election in my area, they elected very strongly in favor of my position on a host of issues, Israel being one of them. And I do believe that reflects the broad base of the Democratic Party,” Latimer told Fox News Digital.
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Westchester County Executive George Latimer, right, talked about his race against progressive Rep. Jamaal Bowman, left. (Getty Images)
“There are different voices in the party. And I think support for a democracy is the bedrock of our support for Israel. Can we negotiate a peaceful settlement over there? Yes. But, by and large, it’s not going to come by more violence, and the violence that Hamas did on Oct. 7 is the single biggest impediment to peace in the Middle East.”
Bowman, a far-left progressive, was one of Israel’s most vocal opponents in the House. He’s part of a growing faction of Democrats critical of the U.S. government’s longstanding ties with Israel, a fight that has been exacerbated since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack and Israel’s ensuing response.
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Bowman was backed by self-proclaimed Democratic Socialists Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
Latimer, by contrast, was propped up by pro-Israel groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), whose associated entities poured millions into the race. He also got the backing of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and even one of Bowman’s own colleagues in the House, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, who is Jewish.
Latimer was one of the hundreds of Democrats to descend on Chicago this week to see Vice President Kamala Harris accept the party’s 2024 nomination at the Democratic National Convention.
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Anti-Israel demonstrators gather in front of the Consulate General of Israel in Chicago Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (Fox News Digital)
Asked if he was concerned for his safety and the safety of other elected officials with thousands of anti-Israel protesters demonstrating in Chicago this week, Latimer said, “Well, I’m not concerned for mine, but I am concerned for those who are in higher office. … But I think, so far, Chicago has done a good job of protecting us.”
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He also argued that the protests showed the Democratic Party was largely pro-Israel.
“But protests don’t change policy. That policy will change when the [Israeli hostages held by Hamas] are released,” Latimer said.
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