Exclusive: The moderate Democrat, who defeated Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a member of the Squad, suggested his party’s voter base is primarily pro-Israel.
Westchester County Mayor George Latimer’s victory in late June marked a decisive counterattack against the far left wing of the Democratic Party and brought to an end the most expensive primary election in U.S. history.
The dispute is part of a broader rift in the Democratic Party caused by Israel’s war on Gaza.
““When I won election in my area, people came out to vote strongly in support of my positions on many issues, including Israel, and I believe that reflects the broad base of the Democratic Party,” Latimer told Fox News Digital.
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Westchester County Mayor George Latimer (right) spoke about his race against progressive Rep. Jamaal Bowman (left). (Getty Images)
“There are different opinions within the party. I think support for democracy is the basis of our support for Israel. Can we negotiate a peaceful solution there? Yes, but generally speaking, it cannot be solved by more violence. And the violence that Hamas unleashed on October 7th is the biggest obstacle to peace in the Middle East.”
Bowman, a far-left progressive, has been one of the House’s most vocal opponents of Israel. Bowman is part of a growing faction of Democrats who criticize the U.S. government’s longstanding relationship with Israel, a dispute that has intensified since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack and Israel’s subsequent response.
The House Democrat is the first member of the division to lose a primary election.
Bowman has been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both self-described democratic socialists. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
In contrast, Latimer has the backing of pro-Israel groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), whose affiliates have poured millions of dollars into his campaign, as well as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Bowman’s Jewish colleague in Congress, Josh Gottheimer.
Latimer was one of hundreds of Democrats who gathered in Chicago this week to watch Vice President Kamala Harris accept the party’s 2024 nomination at the Democratic National Convention.
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Anti-Israel demonstrators rally in front of the Israeli Consulate General in Chicago on Tuesday, August 20, 2024. (Fox News Digital)
When asked if he was concerned about his and other elected officials’ safety as thousands of anti-Israel protesters demonstrated in Chicago this week, Governor Latimer replied, “Well, I’m not concerned about my own safety, but I am concerned about the safety of people in senior positions. … But I think so far, Chicago has done a good job of protecting us.”
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He also argued that the protests show that the Democratic Party is largely pro-Israel.
“But protests don’t change policy. [Israeli hostages held by Hamas] “It’s liberating,” Latimer said.
