Jamaal Bowman and Patrick
McManus are battling for the 16th Congressional seat in New York
and discuss with News 12 their top priorities if
elected into office.
Bowman is a Democrat and
former middle school principal. McManus is a conservative and former first
responder.
The 16th Congressional district
covers Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Hartsdale, Scarsdale, Greenburgh, and portions of
the Bronx.
Both candidates are new to politics,
but they both agree that they don’t like the direction the country is headed
in.
Bowman shocked the political world
when he defeated Rep. Elliot Engel during the June primary by 16,000 votes.
Since then, he's been trying to inform Democrats
about the importance of this election.
“Right now, it’s about getting the
vote out,” says Bowman. ”We want to get as many people to the polls as
possible. The Democratic Party has to show its strength
through turnout.”
Bowman further tells News 12 that if
elected, he’d focus on job, education, and housing, along with
climate change and anything that will improve the quality of his constituent's
lives.
“Making sure we pass policies like
the Heroes Act that gets people back to work and help people who are food
insecure and fully investing in public schools,” says Bowman.
However, opponent Patrick McManus
claims he’s not the right choice, saying in part, “I’m here to stand up and say
there's another choice.”
According to McManus, Bowman’s
policies have been tried and failed. He says if he is elected, his top priority
is making sure the streets are safe again.
Whoever wins the race will
replace Rep. Eliot Engel, whom Bowman defeated in the primary.
Elliot has held the seat for more
than three decades.