
*(CNN) — New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman will lose his Democratic primary to Westchester County Executive George Latimer, CNN projects, marking the first defeat for a member of the House “Squad” of progressive lawmakers.
The result in New York’s 16th Congressional District is also a victory for pro-Israel groups, which backed Latimer with historic levels of spending during the campaign. According to ad-tracking firm AdImpact, the race was the most expensive House primary on record.
Bowman, 48, a former middle school principal in the Bronx, was first elected in 2020 after unseating longtime Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel, a pro-Israel hawk, in the primary. That race, much like this one, centered on accusations that the incumbent had lost touch with the diverse, but heavily segregated district, which spans parts of Bronx and Westchester counties.
Latimer, 70, a Democratic political fixture for decades, argued that Bowman’s vocal opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza and his combative political style was out of step with the electorate, which includes a significant Jewish population in Westchester.
The primary drew more ad spending than any other House race so far this cycle.

By the final days of the campaign, progressives had dug in deep in their bid to hold Bowman’s seat amid an advertising onslaught led by the United Democracy Project, the super PAC of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. UDP spent about $15 million, while another outside group, Democratic Majority for Israel, invested a little more than $1 million. A third PAC, the crypto-aligned Fairshake, also backed Latimer with more than $2 million in spending.
The expenditures for Latimer outpaced the spending on Bowman’s behalf – from Justice Democrats, the Working Families Party, and the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC – by a more than 7-1 margin.
AIPAC’s political arm entered the primary season pledging to spend, along with its affiliated groups, up to $100 million across the board against candidates critical of Israel’s war with Hamas. But their spending had failed to move the dial in any key races before Tuesday.
Bowman, among the first federal lawmakers to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, had already fallen out with parts of the district. His occasionally odd behavior – including an incident when he pulled a fire alarm in the Capitol – damaged his standing with even some progressive supporters. Latimer, who is popular with local establishment figures – including Hillary Clinton, who endorsed him – entered the campaign as a familiar face promising a more restrained political manner.

Latimer is seen as a shoo-in for the general election in the deep-blue district, which would have backed Joe Biden under the current lines by 45 points in 2020. Former Scarsdale Mayor Miriam Flisser was unopposed for the Republican nomination.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
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