Hillary Clinton endorses George Latimer in challenge to unseat Jamaal Bowman

NEW YORK — Hillary Clinton helped deal another blow to vulnerable Rep. Jamaal Bowman on Wednesday, endorsing his formidable challenger just hours after Bowman yet again accused him of racism.

Clinton’s is one of the highest-profile nods in the primary, which has grown increasingly vitriolic as Westchester County Executive George Latimer gains ground against the incumbent member of The Squad. Among Bowman's big-name supporters are Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

Clinton's backing came shortly after Bowman leveled harsh criticism of Latimer at an unrelated event Wednesday in suburban Mount Vernon.

“He’s in the pocket of Republican billionaires … who are racist,” the incumbent said. “He is also not just anti-Black racist, he’s anti-Muslim racist.”

Allegations of racism have begun to dominate the bitter primary for the congressional seat in Westchester County and the Bronx.

“With Trump on the ballot, we need strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever,” the former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic nominee for president posted on X. “In Congress, @LatimerforNY will protect abortion rights, stand up to the NRA, and fight for President Biden’s agenda — just like he’s always done.”

Clinton’s reference to supporting Biden’s vision for the country tracks with the Latimer coalition's messaging. His coalition has been highlighting Bowman’s vote against the bipartisan infrastructure plan that Biden had championed. Bowman has noted that his vote wasn’t critical to the passage of the law and he wanted to advocate for social spending.

Bowman is battling for a third term against a well-known local leader in a primary that will test Democratic sentiment on the Israel-Hamas war.

Latimer, who is benefiting from a multi-million-dollar support campaign by pro-Israel AIPAC, has said Bowman’s criticism of the Jewish state stands in stark contrast to mainstream Democrats.

In a statement responding to Clinton’s endorsement, Latimer said: “Her voice gives even more momentum to our grassroots campaign, which keeps gaining strength because we stand strongly and honestly for our values and for our belief in delivering meaningful results for the communities we serve.”

His campaign’s announcement of Clinton’s support came ahead of the first day of early voting in the primary, and was accompanied by a list of local leaders and labor groups now supporting him.