The polls for the June 25 primary election are officially closed and the New York City Board of Elections (BOE) is announcing preliminary results for competitive Bronx contests.
NY-16
The most contentious race among those in the Bronx has been the 16th Congressional District race between progressive incumbent Rep. Jamaal Bowman and his center-of-left challenger, Westchester County Executive George Latimer. NY-16 encompasses a large chunk of southern Westchester County, as well as a smaller slice of the north Bronx.
The heated congressional primary concluded as the polls closed at 9 p.m. on June 25 and unofficial results show Latimer in front.
The Associated Press called the race in Latimer’s favor at 9:38 p.m. Latimer led with 58.11% of the vote to Bowman’s 41.32% as of Wednesday morning.
At Latimer’s election night watch party in White Plains, the county executive struck an resolute tone. As he addressed the crowd, Latimer emphasized that he will be a very different representative from Bowman, emphasizing that he wants to find common ground with his likely future congressional colleagues.
“We have to look at the arguments of the far-right and the far-left and say ‘you cannot destroy this country with your rhetoric and your arguments,” Latimer told a cheering crowd. “We have to have unity all across that continuum. And if you hold a strong belief, you still must work with people who don’t share that belief because America hangs in the balance.”
Meanwhile, Bowman conceded the race at his own election night party in Yonkers. While the mood inside the party was somber, Bowman struck an upbeat tone, vowing to fighting for “justice, freedom and equality.”
“This race was never about me and me alone, it was never about this district and this district alone, it was always about all of us,” Bowman said. “Now, our opponent may have won this round at this time in this place, but this will be a battle for our humanity and justice for the rest of our lives.”
The rivals have captured national attention on the campaign trail primarily because of their contrasting views on the war in Palestine, and some political analysts are saying the election might be a broader indicator of a split in the Democratic party.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas militants killed 1,200 Israelis and took another 250 hostage. According to the Associated Press, since Israel’s retaliatory military attack, more than 37,000 Palestinian people have been killed.
The 48-year-old incumbent, a member of the House’s group of progressives called “The Squad,” has been one of the most outspoken about his opposition to the war in Palestine and has made it a part of his platform to defeat the pro-Israel “right-wing billionaire” money he’s saying is fueling his challenger’s campaign.
Latimer is among the top beneficiaries of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which according to Politico had contributed more than $600,000 to his campaign as of February. The Washington Post reported pro-Israel groups have spent around $16 million “attacking Bowman,” $14 million of which has been used for ads. The money poured into the NY-16 contest has made it the most expensive House primary in American history.
The 70-year-old challenger, however, has fired back against Bowman throughout his run — likening the incumbent’s opposition to Israel’s military offensive with a call for an end to the Jewish state. NY-16 has a large Jewish population.
Now, Latimer is on pace to represent the district in Congress after spending the last six years as county executive and prior to that serving on the county legislature and the Rye City Council.
Lena, a Rye resident who attended Latimer’s victory party in White Plains Tuesday night, told the Bronx Times that she voted for Latimer because “he actually listens to people and thinks about how to achieve the community’s goals.”
Westchester resident Matthew McSpedon, who also attended Latimer’s party, said the congressional hopeful is good at planning for development and thinks he will be good at creating fair wage jobs.
McSpedon also told the Bronx Times that Bowman “seems to be losing his mind a little” and the country needs someone more centrist in office.
NY-14
Down in the East Bronx and parts of Northeast Queens, results are coming in for the 14th Congressional District between another squad member, political celebrity incumbent Rep. U.S. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 34, and her 66-year-old challenger Marty Dolan.
Similar to the NY-16 race, Dolan told the Bronx Times he believes the time is right for a primary bid against Ocasio-Cortez — saying she and other progressive politicians have actually made the city worse in terms of addressing social issues.
Ocasio-Cortez, or AOC as she’s more widely known, has been seemingly comfortable in her campaign for re-election, actually spending the last few days campaigning for Bowman. She and Sen. Bernie Sanders joined Bowman at a rally Saturday in Mott Haven, where she emphasized the importance of keeping the NY-16 incumbent in Congress.
Ocasio-Cortez’s comfort in her re-election bid seems warranted. According to preliminary results from the state Board of Elections, she’s won 80.36% of the vote (19,070 votes) with all election districts reporting as of Wednesday morning.
She took to social media to celebrate her victory.
“Wall Street came for us again, and the people prevailed. Thank you to the Bronx and Queens for choosing me to be your Congresswoman,” she wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “It is the honor of my life to fight for working families and everyday people. To receive this level of support is deeply moving. Pa’lante”
AD-77
In state Assembly District 77 — which covers the neighborhoods of Claremont, Concourse, Mount Eden, Highbridge and Morris Heights — Bronx voters are waiting on the results for the race between incumbent Assembly Member Landon Dais and challenger Leonardo Coello.
Dais, a 43-year-old former attorney, was elected to fill the seat vacated by former Assembly Member Latoya Joyner earlier this year. Coello, 48, says he ran after community encouragement. The challenger works as the Bronx borough director for the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs.
Dais was ahead as of 10 p.m. Tuesday night, having secured nearly 59% of the vote compared to Coello’s 40%, with 98% of scanners reported as of Wednesday morning, according to the city’s BOE.
AD-82
In the East Bronx’s 82nd Assembly District, longtime incumbent Michael Benedetto, now in his late 70s, is leading familiar challenger and progressive candidate Jonathan Soto. The last time Soto, a 39-year-old former organizer for Ocasio-Cortez, squared up against Benedetto was in 2022, he ended up securing 36% of the total vote. The results seem to be similar this time around, with Benedetto securing approximately 62% of the vote compared to Soto’s 37% as of Wednesday morniing, with 97% of scanners reported.
In an interview with the Bronx Times following his speech, Benedetto said he was “happy” to have earned his constituents’ support.
“I’m satisfied that you know that my confidence in the constituents I serve has been justified that I always thought I put my record out before them. These are not stupid people, they realize what goes on in their area,” Benedetto said after delivering his victory speech at Chippewa Democratic Club Tuesday night. “I always consider what I do to be a sacred duty to perform well and do my job and that every two years to go for reelection. It’s essentially a job interview. And the people will look at what you’ve done, and say, okay, and they’ve done it and that’s kind of satisfying.”
He also made a promise to his constituents.
“I will continue to do what I’ve done in the past,” Benedetto said. “That is to listen to the people. Find out what their problems are, what their views are, and try to follow that lead to deciding upon issues up in Albany that affect the entire state to judge upon them in a fair light, not to automatically dismiss anything, but to judge and weigh the pros and the cons of all the bills that come before me and then make a what’s hopefully a sound decision.”
Soto had told the Bronx Times via text Tuesday afternoon before the polls closed that regardless of the outcome, he is proud of his campaign.
“Win or lose, our team and community are proud of the positive vision of a beautiful Bronx we’ve put forward,” he said. “Our work doesn’t end on Election Day, and I’m looking forward to continue organizing for fully-funded schools, truly affordable housing, clean air and water, and worker power for the 82nd Assembly District.”
AD-84
In the South Bronx’s 84th Assembly District, incumbent Amanda Septimo is cruising to a primary victory over challenger Hector Feliciano.
As of Wednesday morning, Septimo had tallied 72.72% of the vote, with 94% of scanners reported, according to the unofficial BOE results.
Septimo, was first elected to the state Assembly in 2020.
Results will not be official until certified by the BOE.
This story was updated at 11:45 a.m. on June 26.
For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
