Democracy for America endorses Jamaal Bowman for Congress NY-16 primary

Today, Democracy for America (DFA) announced its endorsement of Jamaal Bowman in his Democratic primary fight against Rep. Eliot Engel, the 16-term corporate Democrat who currently represents New York’s deep blue 16th Congressional District.

 Born and raised in New York City, Jamaal Bowman is a champion for social justice, children, and working families who serves as the founding principal of Cornerstone Academy for Social Action (CASA), one of the best public middle schools in the city.

In the U.S. House, Bowman is committed to fighting for Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, robust criminal justice reform, and affordable housing.

Statement from DFA CEO Yvette Simpson on the grassroots progressive group’s endorsement of Bowman:

“Democracy for America is excited to endorse Jamaal Bowman for Congress because he’s spent his career, both in the classroom and as the founding principal of one of the best public middle schools in New York City, fighting and delivering for the students, teachers, and parents he’s served.

“For low-income and working-class people in New York and across the country, politics as usual just isn’t working -- and things won’t change if keep on electing the same politicians, controlled by the same corporate interests, over and over again.

“Jamaal Bowman is right on the issues -- he’s ready to fight for Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, just immigration reform, and affordable housing. But just as importantly, Bowman is committed to confronting and correcting past wrongs, like the 1994 Crime Bill and the No Child Left Behind Act, that his corporate-funded opponent voted for over his more than 30 years in Congress.

“From the people-powered, small-dollar-donor-funded campaign he’s running to the fights he’s willing to take on in Washington, Jamaal Bowman won’t just be a significant progressive improvement over the corporate Democrat he’s looking to replace, he’ll be a passionate change agent in the U.S. House and we couldn’t be more honored to be standing with him.” -- Yvette Simpson, CEO, Democracy for America

Statement from Jamaal Bowman on receiving DFA’s 2020 endorsement:

"I am so proud to be endorsed by Democracy For America. With DFA's grassroots activists across the country, we'll build a movement for Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, ending mass incarceration and mass deportation, foreign policy based in peace and diplomacy, and ending oligarchy in our nation." -- Jamaal Bowman, Candidate, New York’s 16th Congressional District

Bowman is just the fourth Democratic primary challenger DFA in the 2020 election cycle. DFA endorsed Marie Newman (IL-3) early in her victorious primary challenge of Rep. Dan Lipinski, backed Jessica Cisneros (TX-28) in her strong showing against another anti-choice Democrat in her Super Tuesday primary, and recently came out in support of McKayla Wilkes’ (MD-5) primary challenge of House Majority Whip Steny Hoyer.

DFA has 4,219 members in New York’s 16th Congressional District, 122,091 in the state of New York, and more than one million members nationwide.