A major problem for Bowman is that Latimer has a far better image among voters than the incumbent, who has been damaged by his self-inflicted actions and rhetoric.
By Carl Campanile | New York Post
Far-left “Squad” Rep. Jamaal Bowman is in deep trouble in his bid for a third term in the House of Representatives.
In a shocking new poll obtained exclusively by The Post Wednesday, Westchester County Executive George Latimer leads Bowman 52% to 35% among Democratic primary voters in the 16th Congressional District, which takes in southern Westchester County and parts of the northeast Bronx.
Among Democrats who voted in at least three of the last four primaries, Latimer’s lead grows to 21 percentage points — 56% to 35%, according to the survey conducted by veteran Democratic pollster Mark Mellman for the pro-Latimer Democratic Majority for Israel.
Among Democrats who say they know both Latimer and Bowman — 76% of the primary electorate– Latimer’s lead expands even further to 26 points (60% to 34%).
A major problem for Bowman is that Latimer has a far better image among voters than the incumbent, who has been damaged by his self-inflicted actions and rhetoric.
The job performance of Latimer, 70, who has held various offices in Westchester since the late 1980s, is viewed positively by 68% of Democrats in the district while only 18% view him negatively.
In comparison, only 36% of respondents had a positive view of Bowman’s work in Congress while 55% have a negative view.
“Latimer does 32 points better on the positive side, while Bowman’s negatives are a massive 37 points higher than Latimer’s,” Mellman said.
“Very few unindicted elected officials receive such strongly negative ratings from their co-partisans.”
Bowman, 48, pleaded guilty last year to one misdemeanor count of falsely pulling a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building to delay a vote to avert a partial government shutdown.
A resurfaced video from November also showed the congressman calling Israel an “apartheid” state while angrily claiming reports of rapes and child murders during Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack against Israel were a “lie.”
He also defended putting convicted cop killer and fugitive Joanne Chesimard in the Bronx Cornerstone Academy for Social Action’s “hall of honor” while he was principal there before his election to the House.
The poll also finds that more than six in 10 Democratic primary voters in the 16th District want the US to support Israel in the ongoing Middle East war, while a majority (59%) approve of President Biden’s handling of the crisis.
“The data are clear: With a robust campaign, the well-known and highly regarded Latimer is in a strong position to unseat the now unpopular Bowman,” Mellman said.
The Bowman camp dismissed the poll as “junk” in response to the dire numbers. ##