Jamaal Bowman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jamaal Bowman
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2021
|
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 16th district |
|
| In office January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2025 |
|
| Preceded by | Eliot Engel |
| Succeeded by | George Latimer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 1, 1976 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Melissa Oppenheimer |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Potomac State College University of New Haven (BA) Mercy College (MA) Manhattanville College (EdD) |
Jamaal Anthony Bowman (born April 1, 1976) is an American former politician and educator. He served as a United States Representative for New York's 16th congressional district from 2021 to 2025.
Before becoming a politician, Bowman founded and led the Cornerstone Academy for Social Action. This was a public middle school in Eastchester, Bronx. In 2020, he won the Democratic primary election against a long-serving representative, Eliot Engel. He was then elected to Congress in November of that year.
While in Congress, Bowman was part of "the Squad." This is a group of progressive members within the House Democratic Caucus. In 2023, he admitted to setting off a fire alarm in a Capitol building. The House of Representatives later voted to censure him for this incident. In 2024, Bowman ran for reelection but lost to George Latimer in the Democratic primary.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jamaal Anthony Bowman was born on April 1, 1976, in Manhattan, New York City. As a child, he spent weekdays with his grandmother in East Harlem. On weekends, he stayed with his mother and sisters in Yorkville. After his grandmother passed away when he was eight, he lived full-time on the Upper East Side.
At age 16, Bowman moved with his family to Sayreville, New Jersey. He went to Sayreville War Memorial High School. There, he was a player on the football team.
College and Advanced Degrees
Bowman first attended Potomac State Junior College. He then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sports management from the University of New Haven in 1999. At the University of New Haven, he played college football as a linebacker.
Later, Bowman continued his education. He earned a Master of Arts degree in counseling from Mercy College. He also received a Doctor of Education degree in educational leadership from Manhattanville College.
Teaching Career
After college, Bowman decided not to work in sports management. A family friend suggested he try teaching. He began his career as a crisis management teacher in an elementary school in the South Bronx.
In 2009, Bowman started his own school. It was called Cornerstone Academy for Social Action. This was a public middle school located in the Bronx.
School Leadership and Views
As principal, Bowman created a "wall of honor" at his school. It featured images of important Black, Latino, and Asian individuals. He was a strong supporter of arts, history, and science education. He believed these subjects were important in addition to reading and math.
Bowman also spoke out against standardized testing. He felt that these tests could create unfair situations for students. He wrote that high-stakes testing could harm a school's ability to teach. His school used a "restorative justice" approach. This method helps students resolve conflicts and avoid problems that could lead to them leaving school. After 10 years as principal, he left his job to focus on his campaign for Congress.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2020 Election Campaign
The Justice Democrats, a progressive group, encouraged Bowman to run for the United States House of Representatives. He ran in New York's 16th district. This district had been represented by Eliot Engel for 16 terms. Bowman was inspired by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's successful campaign in 2018.
Bowman's campaign focused on fighting poverty and racism. He supported ideas like affordable housing, changes to the justice system, better education, and a plan for clean energy called the Green New Deal. In this district, many more people were registered Democrats than Republicans. This meant that the winner of the Democratic primary would likely win the general election.
Bowman's campaign criticized Engel's actions on foreign policy and his response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bowman received support from groups like the Sunrise Movement and the New York Working Families Party. He was also endorsed by other prominent politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders. Even The New York Times newspaper supported him.
Bowman won the primary election on July 17, 2020, with 55% of the votes. In the general election, he won with 84% of the vote against the Conservative Party candidate.
2022 and 2024 Elections
In 2022, Bowman ran for reelection. He faced a challenge in the Democratic primary from Vedat Gashi. Bowman won the primary with 54% of the vote. He then won the general election with 64% of the vote.
In 2024, Bowman ran again. He was challenged by George Latimer, a county executive. This primary election became very expensive. Many groups spent money to support Latimer's campaign. Latimer defeated Bowman in the primary election.
Time in Congress
.jpg)
When he started his term, Bowman joined The Squad. This group is known for its progressive political views.
In January 2021, after the 2021 United States Capitol attack, Bowman introduced a bill. It was called the Congressional Oversight of Unjust Policing Act (COUP Act). This bill aimed to create a group to investigate how the United States Capitol Police handled the Capitol attack. It also looked into possible connections some police members had to white nationalist groups.
In November 2021, Bowman was one of six House Democrats who voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. He did this because it did not include another bill he supported, the Build Back Better Act.
In 2023, Bowman reintroduced a bill to help schools offer more plant-based food options for lunch. He also voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.
Fire Alarm Incident and Censure
On September 30, 2023, Bowman pulled a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building. This happened while House Democrats were trying to delay a vote on a bill. The building had to be evacuated for about an hour and a half.
Bowman first said he pulled the alarm by accident. He explained that he thought it would open a door. After an investigation, Bowman agreed to a deal. He pleaded guilty to a minor offense for falsely pulling a fire alarm. He paid a fine and wrote an apology letter. In return, the charges were dropped after three months.
On December 7, 2023, the House of Representatives voted to censure Bowman. Censure is a formal disapproval by Congress. The vote was 214 to 191. Three Democrats voted with Republicans to censure Bowman.
Foreign Policy Views
Bowman's views on foreign policy, especially regarding Israel, have been a topic of discussion. In September 2021, he voted to provide Israel with $1 billion for its Iron Dome missile defense system. This vote caused debate among some groups he was associated with.
In July 2023, Bowman and eight other progressive Democrats voted against a resolution. This resolution stated that Israel is not a racist state and that the U.S. supports Israel. In October 2023, Bowman also voted against a resolution supporting Israel after an attack on the country.
Committee Assignments
- Committee on Education and the Workforce
- Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education
- Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
- Subcommittee on Energy (Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics
Caucus Memberships
- Congressional Black Caucus
- Congressional Progressive Caucus
- Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus
Post-Congressional Career
In February 2025, after leaving Congress, Bowman started a new political group called Built to Win PAC. This group aims to support progressive candidates in elections. It plans to encourage nonwhite voters to participate. Bowman stated that his PAC would target candidates who support certain policies or receive funding from specific lobby groups.
Personal Life
Bowman lives in Yonkers, New York, with his wife, Melissa Oppenheimer, and their three children.
He is a fan of the New York hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan. He has often spoken about how hip-hop music and culture inspired him. He believes hip-hop is a "culture that is created by teenagers who were forgotten about."
See also
In Spanish: Jamaal Bowman para niños
