Jamaal Bowman Lands Endorsement From Elizabeth Warren
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts waded into one of the nation’s most contentious House primaries on Thursday, extending a lifeline to an endangered ally on the left, Representative Jamaal Bowman of New York.
Ms. Warren, a national liberal standard-bearer, has supported Mr. Bowman since his first run in 2020. But his campaign is hoping her renewed endorsement will help the congressman reassure a bloc of highly educated white liberals that he needs to save his seat from a well-financed Democratic challenger.
In a statement to The New York Times, Ms. Warren said that Mr. Bowman had been singled out by “corporate interests” because of his support for ambitious left-leaning policy programs like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal.
Though she did not mention the war in Gaza, her remark appeared to be a veiled reference to a super PAC dedicated to advancing Israel’s interests in the American politics. The group has made Mr. Bowman, a vocal critic of the nation’s war effort, a top target and has already spent more than $10 million trying to defeat him.
“Together, we’ve worked with President Biden to protect renters and have plans to lower housing costs,” Ms. Warren said. “I look forward to continued partnership, shoulder-to-shoulder, to stand up to MAGA extremists and deliver for working families.”
The senator was the latest high-profile lawmaker to take sides ahead of the June 25 primary between Mr. Bowman and George Latimer, the Westchester County executive.
Mr. Bowman, a second-term congressman, has largely secured the support of his party’s left wing, including Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and advocacy organizations like Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
Mr. Latimer, a mainstream Democrat, has drawn strong support from New York’s more moderate political establishment.
Mr. Latimer did win over a former liberal ally of Mr. Bowman’s earlier this week. Mondaire Jones, a former congressman running to reclaim a neighboring House seat, told The New York Times that the tenor of Mr. Bowman’s criticisms of Israel since Oct. 7 had caused a “long, painful nightmare” for the district.