Jamaal Bowman Finds Himself In The Crosshairs Of A Black Voter Group

A national group arguing Rep. Jamaal Bowman is too radical to represent mainstream Black voters has joined the crush of critics spending big to keep the progressive from a third term, POLITICO has learned.

The National Black Empowerment Action Fund, founded by AIPAC veteran Darius Jones, plans to sink an initial half million dollars into a NY-16 offensive that includes directly interacting with Black voters and mobilizing local officials. More spending is anticipated as they raise more money.

“We could have stayed out of it, but the need was too great, the sense of urgency was too high,” Jones said in an interview.

Jones formerly served as the national African American constituency director for AIPAC, or the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The National Black Empowerment Action Fund’s other senior adviser, Richard St. Paul, is also an AIPAC alum.

The newer Black GOTV group is independent of the pro-Israel lobbying powerhouse — whose United Democracy Project has spent a whopping $8 million thus far in this primary — but both have Bowman very much in their crosshairs.

“We’re trying to champion an effort to help amplify the voices of Black voters who are focused on safe communities, good-paying jobs, driving down the cost of living, having school choice for their kids, health care and just realizing better life outcomes,” Jones said. “And it’s going to take responsible leadership that’s keenly focused on those priorities as opposed to far-flung ideologies and agendas.”

Bowman is being outspent and outgunned in the nasty New York primary where challenger George Latimer, the Westchester County executive, is running like the incumbent. Latimer has AIPAC firmly in his corner, but he has local and union support as well.

Jones told POLITICO he is not necessarily advocating in favor of Latimer but is working against Bowman, whom his group labeled “an extreme Democratic Socialist” in a press release.

Bowman did clinch an endorsement late Tuesday from the NYC chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.

The left-leaning House member’s allies stressed that he has delivered for the most vulnerable Black and Latino residents of his Westchester and Bronx district.

 “It’s hard to find a Congressperson more committed to racial equity than Jamaal,” New York Working Families Party co-director Jasmine Gripper said in a statement. “This is just another desperate attack from a Republican-funded front group.”

Indeed, Team Bowman’s defense has been a drumbeat of a reminder that they’re up against the influential AIPAC and deep-pocketed GOP donors.

Campaign manager Gabe Tobias charged in a statement that AIPAC has spent much of their “racist, billionaire-funded donations attacking Black and brown progressives.”

He added, “AIPAC and their astroturf groups have no credibility with the Black community. Our working-class multiracial coalition will reject this disgusting attempt to divide us.”

Jones of the National Black Empowerment Action Fund, for his part, said he believes African Americans need to revisit how they “romanticize” some Black elected leaders.

“It’s time to begin to hold those folks accountable for their actions in office,” he said, “and to not be so taken by their soaring rhetoric.”

A version of this interview first appeared Thursday in New York Playbook. Subscribe here.