Hillary Clinton is making a push to unseat one of the most vocal progressives in Congress, New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman, as the Democratic party's Israel-Palestine civil war escalates.
In a shock endorsement, Clinton aligned herself with Westchester County Executive George Latimer, calling him a "principled" Democrat.
The endorsement could seal Bowman's fate, with polls already showing him behind among Democratic primary voters.
The winner of the June 25 primary is all but certain to go on to serve in Congress. Bowman's solidly Democratic district covers part of the Bronx and the southern half of Westchester County.
"With Trump on the ballot, we need strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever. In Congress, @LatimerforNY will protect abortion rights, stand up to the NRA, and fight for President Biden's agenda—just like he's always done. Make a plan to vote by June 25th!" Clinton wrote.
Bowman is a controversial figure, owing to his fiery rhetoric and a notorious episode in which he pulled a fire alarm at the Capitol.
He has the backing of prominent socialists like Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Ny.).
An Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill poll found Latimer ahead by 17 points. Still, Bowman dismissed Clinton's endorsement as no big deal during an interview.
“I definitely wouldn’t call it a ‘major endorsement,’ with all due respect,” Bowman told CNN host Laura Coates.
The left has long had a fractious relationship with Clinton, who famously quashed a challenge from Sanders in the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primary. Her spat with Bowman is the latest eruption within the Democratic party, which has been torn over the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Clinton's support of Israel is out of step with the left, which sees Israel as a "genocidal" state. Latimer is also supporting Israel.
“It‘s unfortunate that my opponent and unfortunately, Secretary Clinton, seem to both be out of touch with this district,” Bowman told CNN.
70-year-old Latimer served in Albany in the New York State Legislature for over a decade before rising to Westchester County Executive.
Clinton was formerly a U.S. Senator from New York in the 2000s before rising to Secretary of State for Barack Obama. Her political ascent came to a crashing halt in 2016, when she lost the presidential race to Donald Trump in a shocking upset.
