‘I have no regrets about standing up for what I firmly believe in,’ stated US Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY.)
By Corey Walker, The Algemeiner
The Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, a fundraising organization for left-wing political causes, has rescinded its endorsement of former US Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY) after he endorsed a pro-Israel candidate in the New York Democratic primary elections.
Jones publicly backed Westchester County Executive George Latimer over incumbent Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) on Tuesday, arguing that Bowman has isolated the Jewish community over his stance on the Israel-Hamas war.
Jones argued that Latimer was the “clear” choice and cited his desire to “stand up for” his Jewish constituents.
Jones’s endorsement of Latimer, a candidate backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), incensed the progressive political fundraising organization.
“A number of factors led to the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC rescinding the endorsement of Mondaire Jones,” Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC executive director Evan Brown said.
Brown added that the decision to walk back his organization’s endorsement “was a unanimous decision of our PAC board.”
The ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has reportedly roiled the PAC, exposing fractures within the progressive coalition over views on the Jewish state. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), a stalwart ally of Israel, quietly departed the PAC in February, citing dissatisfaction with the group’s approach to Israel’s military operation.
In response to the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC’s announcement, Jones told NBC News that he does not regret his rebuke of Bowman.
“I have no regrets about standing up for what I firmly believe in,” Jones said, “I have known and worked with George Latimer for years.”
“Rep. Bowman and I have very different views on Israel,” Jones added. “I have been horrified by his recent acceptance of the DSA [Democratic Socialists of America] endorsement, his denial of the sexual assault of Israeli women by Hamas on Oct. 7, and his rush to call for a ceasefire before Israel could hardly begin to defend itself against the worst assault on Jews since the Holocaust.”
Bowman has been exceptionally critical of the Jewish state in the months following Hamas’ Oct. 7 slaughter, which killed over 1,200 people throughout southern Israel.
In March, Bowman suggested that the widely-corroborated claims of sexual assault on Oct. 7 were mere Israeli “propaganda.” He also referred to Israel as an “apartheid” state.
Like Bowman, Jones was first elected to the US Congress in 2020. However, Jones lost re-election in 2022 and is now running for a second term. He’s currently the leading Democrat in the race to unseat Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY).
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) — a prominent progressive who previously came under fire for calling Israel a “racist state” — lambasted Jones’s decision to back Bowman’s opponent.
“Honestly, I’m just so disgusted by it,” Jayapal said. “This is a former colleague of his, an incumbent member who is a top priority candidate for us, an incumbent for us in the Progressive Caucus.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a progressive who suggested Israel’s military actions in Gaza are tantamount to “genocide,” also took aim at Jones over his endorsement of Latimer.
“Jamaal Bowman has earned support across the entire Democratic Party — from House leadership and the Congressional Black + Progressive Caucuses to Labor + grassroots – bc he is a proven, effective, & beloved leader,” Ocasio-Cortez posted on X/Twitter. “Dem unity means supporting Bowman. That’s how we win in November.”