Jamaal Bowman declares victory over veteran pro-Israel lawmaker Eliot Engel in New York

“I cannot wait to get to Washington and cause problems for the people maintaining the status quo,” said Jamaal Bowman in a statement after he declared victory.

By Ebin Sandler, World Israel News

On Wednesday, challenger Jamaal Bowman declared victory over Eliot Engel in the Democratic primary in New York’s 16th Congressional District.

According to Bowman, the Board of Elections awarded him 61 percent of the vote, with Engel taking only 34 percent, The New York Daily News reported.

“I’m a Black man who was raised by a single mother in a housing project. That story doesn’t usually end in Congress. But today, that 11-year old boy who was beaten by police is about to be your next Representative,” Bowman said in a statement quoted by the Daily News. “I cannot wait to get to Washington and cause problems for the people maintaining the status quo.”

At press time, thousands of mail-in ballots had not yet been counted in the vote tallies. New York counties have until July 1 to begin sharing the results of mail-in ballots.

Engel has served in the House of Representatives since 1989, supporting pro-Israel positions in conjunction with a liberal agenda with regard to domestic issues. Unlike many other Democrats, Engel supported the U.S.’ recognition that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital.

Engel also introduced a House resolution in 2017 condemning an anti-Israel UN Security Council Resolution that declared building Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria is a violation of international law.