Latimer Files Paperwork for Congressional Run Against Bowman
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer will apparently take on Rep. Jamaal Bowman for the Democratic nomination in the 16th Congressional District next June after he submitted paperwork Monday to make himself eligible for a candidacy.
The matchup has the potential to be a high-stakes showdown between Latimer, finishing his sixth year as county executive, and Bowman, a two-term congressman.
On Monday, shortly after news broke of his filing, Latimer held his weekly Monday afternoon briefing but never mentioned any congressional aspirations. He had returned from a visit to Israel last week with a contingent of other Westchester elected officials and spoke about that as well as a variety of county issues.
Latimer did not respond to questions posed to him, although it is expected he may make a formal announcement sometime this week.
In October, Latimer told The Examiner that people in the county’s political circles had reached out to him asking him to run and that he was considering a congressional candidacy, but didn’t expect to make a decision until the district lines, which has been the subject of litigation, are settled.
“The truth of the matter is we don’t know where the lines are,” said Latimer, a longtime Rye resident. “It’s fruitless to even speculate until you know.”
Arguments were heard on Nov. 15 in the Court of Appeals in Buffalo. The court will eventually make a decision on whether the state Independent Redistricting Commission, which is chaired by Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins, needs to propose a new set of districts or stick to the lines that were drawn for the 2022 election.
Among more moderate Democrats, there has been concern regarding Bowman over a few key issues, including his former membership in the Democratic Socialists of America, which protested against Israel immediately after the Hamas attacks, as well as votes against President Biden’s infrastructure bill.
If Latimer does follow through on his candidacy, it is likely that one other challenger in the Democratic primary will exit the race. In early November, Rev. Michael Gerald of Tuckahoe announced that he was pausing his campaign until Latimer made a decision.
Meanwhile, another candidate, Dobbs Ferry resident Marty Dolan, has told The Examiner he plans to remain in the race regardless of what Latimer decides.
“There are no changes to my plans,” Dolan stated. “I will beat Bowman wherever the district lines are drawn and have shown the leadership which has further forced Latimer’s hand.”
Latimer, 70, has never lost an election since he was elected to the Rye City Council in the late 1980s. He has also served on the Board of Legislators, including a stint as its chair, and in both the Assembly and the state Senate before defeating former county executive Rob Astorino in 2017.
He is term-limited and has two years remaining on his current term at the end of this month.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
