A charged political rally took place in the Bronx on Saturday, featuring Rep. Jamaal Bowman, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. The event aimed to boost Bowman's campaign ahead of the June 25 primary against George Latimer.
Bowman addressed the crowd, lifting a stool and leading a chant for "ceasefire now" regarding the war in Gaza. Ocasio-Cortez, sounding hysterical, added, "Are we ready to take on AIPAC? Are we ready to kick ... Wall Street ... because we are tired of having corporate lobbies trying to buy up our communities and sell them to the highest bidder. We're not doing that anymore. We all know why we're here, we all know what the stakes are. We have enormous outside influence. They are trying to buy our representation because they don't like who we chose to represent us. But we know that the person that is best suited to represent New York's 16th District is Jamal Bowman!"
Sanders called this race "one of the most important" in modern American history, framing it as a battle against billionaire influence in politics.
This comes in the light of recent accusations of antisemitism against Bowman. Rabbi Jonathan Morgenstern of Young Israel of Scarsdale criticized Bowman for tokenism towards Jews and a lack of effort in building relationships. Bowman's controversial remarks on Israel, including linking its actions to racial issues, have deepened the rift. Former supporter Rabbi Scott Weiner withdrew his endorsement, citing Bowman's stance on Israel and alignment with groups advocating boycotts against the country.
These issues are central in Bowman's heated primary battle against George Latimer, amid record-breaking ad spending and heightened tensions within the Democratic Party.
Recent polls show Bowman trailing Latimer by double digits in the district, which spans from the Bronx to wealthy Westchester neighborhoods. Bowman has faced criticism for prioritizing national progressive issues over local needs and for controversial actions like voting against Biden's infrastructure bill.
As the primary approaches, this rally demonstrates the high stakes and passionate divide in New York's 16th District race.
