The primary for New York’s 16th congressional district, which takes place on Tuesday, has drawn record-breaking spending, with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) and a crypto-currency Super Pac behind the lion’s share of the funding.

The two are battling to represent a district that spans parts of the Bronx and Westchester county. Latimer is leading in polling, and if he wins, he will be the first challenger to successfully unseat a member of the progressive “Squad”.

The huge haul of outside spending – most of it funding ads attacking Bowman and supporting Latimer – underscores Bowman’s precarious position as a high-profile “Squad” member whose criticism of Israel and outspoken support for Palestinian rights has drawn the ire of the pro-Israel lobby.

But the race is more than a referendum on Israel-Palestine policy. It’s also a test of the fledgling progressive wing of the Democratic party, whose ranks Bowman joined after winning an upset primary victory in 2020 and defeating former representative Eliot Engel, an incumbent who had held the office since 1989.

Among Bowman’s highest-profile supporters are the senator Bernie Sanders and the representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (known as AOC), who will appear at a rally on Saturday to turn out voters for the incumbent. Meanwhile, Latimer has earned the support of the former secretary of state and Democratic party establishment stalwart Hillary Clinton.

  • njm1314@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    Israeli fascist trying to overthrow American democracy. That’s all this is. We’re allowing a fascist foreign government to sway how our democracy is run. There’s a Bizarro world, a better one maybe, where we’d be bombing them for this.

  • AbidanYre@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) and a crypto-currency Super Pac

    Ok, well I’d definitely be voting for the other guy if I lived in that district.

        • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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          5 months ago

          So, you’re fine with the fascists winning because you’re too good and pure to actually do anything?

          The system isn’t perfect, but it’ll get worse if people do nothing.

          • ripcord@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            Last time I contributed I ended up on a list and I still get half a dozen text messages a week begging for money.

            Lately several seem like obvious scams.

            But I refuse to donate to a candidate if they only reach out to ask for money. And I’m definitely not contributing if I get put on a goddamn spam list.

            • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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              5 months ago

              You can just contribute to ActBlue itself. I’ve been supporting them for years and never get any spam.

    • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Since when has AIPAC == Democrats? They fund Zionists regardless of party affiliation.

  • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    It always seems like there are deep pockets for stuff like this. Meanwhile, trying to keep the outright fascists out of office…crickets.

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    AIPAC aren’t on anyone’s side except Israel.

    And they’re not gonna hesitate to destroy American democracy if it gets “moderates” like Biden, Schumer, or Jeffries in office that are going to not only turn a blind eye, but defend their genocide.

    They don’t care if Dems lose and a Republican wins in the general. Because they bought off the republicans too.

    And the DNC probably doesn’t care that much either. Its easier for them to unseat a Republican than a progressive.

    Progressives have been trying to play ball for decades, but these “moderates” never show any of that unity the constantly demand from us.

    People want to keep calling being against genocide “single issue voters” which is just the same projection shit republicans do.

    • Carrolade@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Assuming someone is a genuine progressive, the single-issue voter accusation is very hard to make stick. Progressives have one of the clearest and broadest sets of platform goals of anyone. I wouldn’t worry about it.

      A genuine hamas supporter, as opposed to a peace supporter, they might be a single issue voter. But I think those are very much in the minority, and most progressives just want peace and equality for Palestine and do not support warfighting.

    • njm1314@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      They’re not even on Israel’s side, they’re a revisionist Zionist group. They’re on the side of fascism plain and simple.

    • Serinus@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Yes, The DNC famously doesn’t care how maybe Republicans are in Congress.

      Remember the name of this commenter, because he constantly posts the same shit.

      • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        The DNC famously doesn’t care how maybe Republicans are in Congress.

        They literally don’t. It’s not what they’re chartered to do. The DSCC and DCCC focus on congress. They’re the ones who prop up centrists while pulling the rug out from under progressives, even if that results in maga chuds holding seats that could have been held by Democrats.

  • mctoasterson@reddthat.com
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    5 months ago

    Most expensive? Oh I dunno, Tony Gonzales just had to spend like $10m to barely beat a YouTube memelord by less than 1000 votes.

    • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Latimer got $14.5m from AIPAC alone. The crypto scammers apparently invested a similar amount in his current and future corruption too.

  • dhork@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    At least we know that if his campaign is in trouble, Bowman is fully capable of pulling the alarm.