Far-left “Squad” Rep. Jamaal Bowman is likely headed toward a landslide defeat — badly trailing Dem foe George Latimer by 17 points ahead of the June 25 primary election, a new poll shows.
Latimer, the Westchester County executive, garnered support from 48% of Democratic primary voters compared to just 31% for Bowman, a two-term incumbent, in the 16th Congressional District, according to the Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey.
The remaining 21% of respondents were undecided in the district, which encompasses much of Westchester County and parts of the north Bronx, the poll said.
The Israel-Hamas war may be playing an outsized role in the race, the survey showed.
Latimer, 70, has squarely sided with Israel in the raging conflict, while Bowman, 48, was captured on video in November calling Israel an “apartheid” state as he angrily claimed reported rapes and child murders by Hamas during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel were a “lie.” He later walked back the comment ripped as Hamas propaganda.
Forty-five percent of voters align more with Latimer on the war, 29% side more with Bowman, and 26% are unsure, the survey said.
Either way, more people want to see an end to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza regardless of where they stand on Israel.
A plurality of Democratic primary voters — 43% — are less inclined to support a member of Congress who opposes a cease-fire in Gaza, while 37% are more likely to back a candidate who is against one. The remaining 20% had no opinion.
Half of the Democratic primary voters also thought the US government is spending too much on aid to Israel in the war with Hamas, while a third think the Biden administration is spending the right amount, and 17% think the country is spending too little.
Regarding humanitarian relief to Palestinians in Gaza, 46% thought the US is spending too little, 34% the right amount, and 21% too much.
Latimer, a moderate who has held various offices in Westchester since the late 1980s, also is just generally more liked than Bowman, who has been backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, the poll found.
Sixty-five percent of voters said they have a favorable view of Latimer, while 23% have an unfavorable
view. Twelve percent are undecided.
Meanwhile, 51% have a favorable view of the incumbent congressman, while 43%
have an unfavorable view of him. Six percent are not familiar with Bowman.
Latimer led among white voters by a yawning 42 percentage points — 62% to 20%, the poll showed.
Bowman, who is African-American, was ahead among black voters — but by a narrower 14 percentage points, 48% to 34%.
Hispanic voters are split evenly, with 36% supporting Bowman and Latimer, respectively.
There also is an age disparity, with younger voters favoring Bowman while older ones supporting Latimer.
Voters have bread-and-butter issues they’re concerned about, too.
The economy (22%) and housing affordability (21%) were the top issues for the Democratic primary voters in the district, followed by threats to democracy (14%), healthcare (13%), crime (12%), and immigration (6%).
The Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey was conducted June 6-8. The sample of 425 likely Democratic voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.7 percentage points.
Voters were contacted by cell phone and through automated calls on landlines.
A previous survey in April conducted by the pro-Latimer Democratic Majority for Israel also found the challenger leading Bowman by 17 points — 52% to 35%.
Latimer said of Tuesday’s survey’s results, “As encouraging as this is, there’s only one poll that really counts and that starts with Early Voting this Saturday, when voters choose between my proven track record of delivering real progressive results versus the incumbent’s divisiveness, dishonesty, hostility toward his constituents, and votes against Democratic priorities.”
Early voting begins Saturday.
Bowman, a former Bronx middle-school principal, has been dogged by self-inflicted controversies that have damaged his standing, beyond his rhetorical baggage and left-wing positions.
The Republican-led House voted in December to censure Bowman for pulling a fire alarm in a Capitol Hill office building Sept. 30 in order to delay a vote to avert a government shutdown.
He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count Oct. 26 of falsely pulling the fire alarm and agreed to pay a $1,000 fine, insisting it was a mistake.
Bowman is part of an informal group of far-left House members, dubbed “The Squad” by their acolytes, that includes neighboring New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Cori Bush of Missouri.
