George Latimer a "perfect fit" for 16th Congressional District, assemblywoman says
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Voters in the Bronx and Westchester County decided the 16th Congressional District race between Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Westchester County Executive George Latimer, and it wasn't close.
Latimer trounced the two-term congressman in a closely watched Democratic primary, the most expensive in history.
"Our current congressmember did not fit the district and our new congressmember to be is a perfect fit," Assemblywoman Amy Paulin said.
CBS New York caught up with the winner on Wednesday morning in White Plains.
"This was not a victory where there is any ambiguity as to what the majority of people felt. He made the point of saying he has the many and the money. Well, it turned out I had the many," Latimer said.
Latimer's stance on Israel helped him
Latimer has been broadly supportive of Israel since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, even visiting the country.
"Israel is a country that has a right to exist," Latimer said during the campaign. "Ultimately, if there's going to be peace in the region, there has to be a two-state solution, which involves, you know, an Arab state alongside of it. But there has to be a willingness for the players to commit to peace on both sides and, you know, frankly, Jamaal had a different attitude about that."
Many of Latimer's voters said they were motivated by Bowman's harsh criticism of how Israel is fighting Hamas. By one estimate, election turnout in the Jewish community approached 60%.
"Very high interest in the race. Going back even, I'll say, before Oct. 7, there was discontent with Jamaal Bowman representing us in Congress," said Jeff Levin of Scarsdale.
Bowman's past hurt him
Local critics say Bowman was good at making headlines -- sometimes, like the fire alarm incident, for the wrong reasons.
But many say he misread the district by embracing left wing politics.
"We are going to ruin the country if we just let it become a debate between the far left and the far right," Latimer said.
Latimer said he promises a laser-focus on constituent services. Critics say Bowman never built an effective staff to help residents with Social Security and other federal issues.
"He didn't get back to them, or his staff didn't get back to them," Deputy CountyExecutive Ken Jenkins said.
Jenkins said elections ultimately are a referendum on the incumbent.
"It's a soul-searching mission to go backwardso and see why things happen, and it's not blaming someone else. It's really looking in the mirror," Jenkins said.
