George Latimer

George Latimer has represented New York's 16th congressional district since January 2025, having won one of the most closely watched and financially expensive Democratic primary races in American political history against progressive incumbent Jamaal Bowman — a race in which pro-Israel groups, led by AIPAC's United Democracy Project, spent more than $14 million in independent expenditures on Latimer's behalf to defeat a member of Congress whose support for Palestinian causes and vocal criticism of Israel had made him a priority target for removal. Born October 6, 1955, in Port Chester, New York, Latimer graduated from William & Mary and earned his law degree from St. John's University School of Law, building a career in New York state and county politics before serving as Westchester County Executive from 2018 to 2024.

The primary against Bowman — held in June 2024, with Latimer winning by approximately 17 percentage points — was widely interpreted as a referendum on whether the pro-Israel movement could defeat a sitting progressive member of Congress in a heavily Democratic district. The outcome demonstrated that organized, well-funded pro-Israel electoral intervention could overcome progressive grassroots organizing even in a district with significant progressive infrastructure. Latimer, a lifelong Democrat with mainstream liberal positions on most domestic issues, ran explicitly on his support for Israel as a distinguishing issue from Bowman.

In Congress, Latimer has maintained the pro-Israel voting record that defined his campaign. He has supported Israeli military aid, opposed ceasefire resolutions that he views as unfairly singling out Israel, and maintained public statements defending Israel's right of self-defense. His district, which covers parts of the Bronx and Westchester County, includes a significant Jewish community that AIPAC's investment was partly designed to serve. At Rank 57, Latimer's significance on the Iron 100 is electoral as much as legislative: his primary victory proved that AIPAC's electoral strategy works, and that pro-Israel voters can be mobilized to defeat anti-Israel incumbents even in deeply blue districts.