House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries‘s (D-NY) spokeswoman mocked Justice Democrats’ attempt to pin Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s (D-NY) primary loss on him.
Bowman lost to Westchester County Executive George Latimer, who campaigned as a contrast to Bowman’s stance on Israel and the congressman’s antics in the House of Representatives. Justice Democrats, a hard-left group that supported Bowman, attempted to blame the House’s Democratic leader — Jeffries.
“The outcome of this election is a reflection on his leadership and whether Hakeem Jeffries stood up to Republican megadonors,” Usamah Andrabi, Justice Democrats spokesman, told the New York Times.
Bowman and his allies have pointed fingers at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s support of Latimer as the reason for the congressman’s undoing, but the Justice Democrats also attempted to tie in Jeffries, who endorsed Bowman as he does with most Democratic incumbents. Christie Stephenson, Jeffries’s spokeswoman, mocked the group to the outlet.
“The so-called Justice Democrats stated back in 2017 that their goal was to destroy the Democratic Party, and they laughably threatened to primary Hakeem Jeffries,” Stephenson said. “They have failed miserably in every way. Is anyone surprised?”
Bowman’s loss marks the first “Squad” member to lose his or her House seat since the informal group started in the 116th Congress in 2019 with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (R-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA).
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Another member of the “Squad,” Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), could be next to lose her seat as she faces a tough primary challenge from St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell. Bush’s challenger has also been critical of the “Squad” members’ stances on Israel and the war in Gaza.
If Democrats win back the House of Representatives, Jeffries would likely be elected speaker and may have to appease the “Squad” if their majority is as small as the GOP’s current majority. Under the slim Republican majority in the House, many hard-right members have had significant influence on the operations of the chamber.