Life seems tough for the “Squad” when less than half of its members showed up on Thursday to bid farewell to Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Cori Bush (D-MO), who both lost their Democratic primaries this year and will leave Congress next month.
Bowman and Bush, who lost to center-left challengers, delivered their farewell speeches on a congressional floor that appeared nearly empty, with only fellow Squad members Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) present. Notably absent were Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Greg Casar (D-TX), Summer Lee (D-PA), and Delia Ramirez (D-IL).
Bowman’s loss stemmed from controversial comments he made about Israel’s war against Hamas, calling it “genocide” against Palestinians, which ultimately led to a Jewish challenger in his district. He lost the primary by a wide margin, and his unpopularity was evident when AOC canceled a planned appearance with him on Election Day.
Bush, on the other hand, faced issues of poor constituent services and multiple self-inflicted scandals, including an investigation into her antisemitic bodyguard and several embarrassing public mistakes. She also had the lowest record in Missouri for getting her bills out of committee, which contributed to her loss.
Throughout the summer, many House Democrats were frustrated with the Squad’s influence, arguing that their controversial actions were jeopardizing the party’s chances of maintaining a majority. “Nobody who cares about them tried to help, tried to stop them, tried to say, ‘Hey, there’s a better way. You don’t need to do this. You can advocate for your position without alienating the vast majority of voters,’” a Democratic lawmaker said.
Meanwhile, AOC, often seen as the face of the far-left group, has managed to distance herself from Bowman and Bush’s setbacks. On Wednesday, Politico reported that a majority of Democrats on the House Oversight Committee supported AOC’s bid to become the ranking member, surpassing Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), who is nearly four decades her senior. Ocasio-Cortez, 35, has focused on advancing her career in the House, choosing not to challenge New York’s Democratic Senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and instead working on building relationships within the party. Her approach seems to reflect lessons learned from the political downfall of her former colleagues.
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