Bowman holds commanding lead over Engel, says he's 'fired up' to get to Congress

Rep. Eliot Engel's seat in the 16th Congressional District, which he has held for three decades, is being vied for by three Democrats.

News 12 Staff

Jun 24, 2020, 2:25 AM

Updated 1,631 days ago

Share:

Rep. Eliot Engel's seat in the 16th Congressional District, which he has held for three decades, is being vied for by three Democrats.
Candidates Jamaal Bowman, Chris Fink and Sammy Ravelo are all vying for the seat, and say that it's time for change.
Bowman is a former principal who is being endorsed by the Justice Democrats. The group backed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, when she toppled longtime Rep. Joe Crowley in the 14th District two years ago.
Fink has experience in clean energy and building infrastructure - two of the pillars of his campaign to represent the district.
Ravelo recently retired from the NYPD after 25 years, and he says his life experiences will guide his policies.
Engel was caught on camera at a news conference saying, "If I didn't have a primary, I wouldn't care."
He defended his comments, saying he wanted voters to know he cared deeply about the unrest.
Bowman tweeted in response, "This is so incredibly painful to watch from @RepEliotEngel. It hurts. We need to be taking care of our communities right now -- whether it's election season or not. It's clear that we need new leadership in #NY16."
Engel says he plans to focus some of his attention on helping workers in a post-coronavirus economy if reelected.
Bowman claimed an early lead Tuesday night during an announcement on Periscope.