In New York’s 16th district Democratic primary on Tuesday, two-term Rep. Jamaal Bowman was swamped by Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a result that suggests that there may be a course correction happening within the party.
Latimer beat Bowman by 58%-42%, a convincing victory in a race that wrote itself into the history books at the most expensive House primary ever. (The final price tag is expected to be north of $25 million.)
Why does this race matter beyond New York? Bowman identified with the ultra-liberal “Squad” in Congress — a group made famous by fellow New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez.
Latimer expressly ran a campaign against Bowman’s positioning on the far left — casting himself as a moderate problem solver.
It’s the first electoral inkling that the lurch leftward among some within the Democratic party over the last few years — essentially beginning with the protests over the murder of George Floyd —is being reexamined by voters.
I talk much more about all of that in today’s edition of The Morning.
The Morning: The 'Squad' loses