George Latimer, who has led Westchester County for the past six years as its top executive, announced in December that he is running in this year’s Democratic primary to represent much of the county and a sliver of the Bronx in Congress.
The moderate Democrat is in a heated race to unseat the district’s current representative, Jamaal Bowman — who has served in Congress since 2020 as a member of the far left “Squad.” The race has grown increasingly rancorous, with Latimer and Bowman currently duking it out over their respective positions on Israel and its war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
But Latimer, in a Feb. 22 sit-down interview with amNewYork Metro, insisted that he does not see the race as all-out battle with Bowman and he is simply running to give the district’s voters a choice.
“I made the decision to run to offer an alternative and to offer a choice and I don’t think it’s any more complicated than that,” Latimer said. “I don’t perceive it to be a boxing match … the race is being framed that way because it may benefit the incumbent to frame it that way, but that’s not the way I’m framing it.”
Latimer said he is running to bring a more moderate, practical, approach to Congress, as he contends the institution has been hijacked by extremists on both the political right and left.
“What I see in Washington now is a lot of performance art, but not a lot of performance, not a lot of bills passed, a lot of resolutions, taking positions on things,” Latimer said. “What you need in a representative in Congress is you need a person who understands what a legislator really does. They deal with legislation. They deal with advocacy within the executive branch to get resources back to your district. And they vote in a way that’s consistent with your philosophy and inclusive with all of these different groups.”
Latimer and Bowman have mainly been divided over their stances on the current conflict in the Middle East, in which over 29,000 Palestinians and roughly 1,200 Israelis have so far been killed. Israel’s offensive in Gaza, against the militant group Hamas, has also displaced more than 1 million Palestinians and destroyed over 100,000 buildings throughout the coastal enclave.
Hamas is still holding 137 of the approximately 250 Israeli hostages the group took captive during its brutal Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Latimer, who says the hostages must be released, is pro-Israel and supports its war in Gaza, despite the significant civilian death toll. Bowman, on the other hand, has been fiercely critical of Israel for many years and has consistently called for a permanent ceasefire.
Bowman has blasted Latimer over his campaign getting endorsed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), connecting his stance on Israel with the money he has received through the organization. However, Latimer said that while his campaign has gotten roughly $600,000 in donations through AIPAC, the money is not coming directly from the group, but rather individuals in the district donating through its online portal.
The county executive said that although he has AIPAC’s backing, his positions are not influenced by the group.
“When I read these arguments that said, ‘George Latimer is taking AIPAC money,’ friends, I’m being supported because I have supported Israel in the past,” he said. “And right now, my positions are consistent with what they want … And I have never done a public policy position because of a check.”
But Latimer has sought to keep a focus on his experience as a Democratic executive, saying that he has successfully enacted progressive policies in a county that was previously run by a conservative Republican.
In particular, Latimer pointed to his ability to build affordable housing, electrify county bus lines and house some of the migrants who have arrived in New York City as evidence of his effectiveness as a manager.
During his tenure, Latimer said, he has been able to facilitate the construction of 2,500 new units of affordable housing, with another 4,000 in the pipeline. He said that speaks to his leadership abilities because building affordable housing in Westchester means having to coordinate with the local governments, which all have their own zoning regulations.
The additional layers of government in Westchester differ from the five boroughs, where the city is directly in charge of zoning and housing construction.
Much of the housing work, Latimer said, has resulted from personal relationships with local leaders.
“Out in the suburbs, if you want to accomplish things, you need to develop those personal relationships,” Latimer said. “We do the community a favor. They have some need for something and we solve the problem in some area. And then we come back around and we say ‘hey, listen, let’s work on the affordable housing issue.’”
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