AIPAC cheers as Jewish vote hailed as key to Bowman defeat

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee says the defeat of Jamal Bowman in the Democratic primary for New York’s 16th Congressional District “once again shows that the pro-Israel position is both good policy and good politics — for both parties.”

The group, which poured money into the campaign, congratulates George Latimer on his “resounding victory over an anti-Israel detractor.”

“This triumph by a strong pro-Israel candidate represents a major victory for the Democratic mainstream that stands with the Jewish state and a defeat for the extremist fringe,” AIPAC says in a statement.

Democratic Majority for Israel PAC says it targeted Black and Hispanic voters in the district with pro-Latimer ads.

“Like other races this cycle, George Latimer’s victory and Jamaal Bowman’s defeat demonstrate in dramatic fashion our long-time contention that being pro-Israel is not just wise policy, but also winning politics,” DMFI PAC head Mark Melman says.

Haile Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, says in a statement that Jews make up 13% of the district’s voters, who “overwhelmingly supported George Latimer and helped to unseat Jamaal Bowman.”

“Tonight’s result demonstrates the critical role that Jewish voters have – and will continue to have – on the outcome of elections. It also demonstrates that Jamaal Bowman was out of step with the Democratic Party, his constituents, and Jewish voters, and he lost his seat in Congress as a result,” she says.

A group called Westchester Unites, which ran a Jewish get-out-the-vote campaign, says likely Jewish voters had cast early ballots at four times the rate of non-Jews. At one synagogue, 87% of eligible voters cast a ballot prior to election day. The group, a project of the Orthodox Union’s Teach Coalition, estimates that 9% of all eligible Democratic party primary voters were Jews.

“Jews across the country are concerned about rising antisemitism and their safety. The need to have elected officials who care about our well-being and represent these issues has never been greater,” says Dan Mitzner, director of government affairs for Teach Coalition. “We tapped into this feeling and gave the NY-16’s Jewish community the tools and information to take action through voting – and they responded and acted in historic numbers.”

Jews for Jamaal, meanwhile, says the group is “devastated” by Bowman’s defeat.

“Bowman’s positions on social justice and human rights at home and abroad are popular with Democratic voters, and outside groups spent historic amounts of money to confuse and drown out the voices of NY-16 constituents,” it says in a statement.