CNN commentator David Axelrod and former White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton on Tuesday night questioned the tactics used by progressive Democrats in the wake of incumbent New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman's primary defeat.

Axelrod and Burton both appeared on “CNN NewsNight With Abby Phillip” to discuss the first defeat for New York's progressive “team.” On Tuesday, Bowman lost to Westchester County Mayor George Latimer in the state's 16th Congressional District. CNN host Abby Phillip condemned Bowman's loss, placing a large amount of blame on his stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and asked Axelrod what he thought about the new changes in his New York district. (Related article: Capitol Fire Alarm “Squad” member loses to challenger in primary)

“I think there's no denying that this was central to the campaign, but there were other issues with Jamaal Bowman that couldn't be ignored, perhaps most distinctive and symbolic of all was his decision to sound the fire alarm in the middle of voting,” he said.[ped] “He voted in Congress and he was accused of that. So he had issues. This is a district that is primarily a left-of-center district and he was elected the year that George Floyd happened,” Axelrod said.

“But I think this is something we should be considering. Just a couple of weeks ago, we had primaries in Oregon and Portland, and two progressive candidates lost to center-left candidates. So it's not just about Israel. Israel is obviously a divisive issue within the Democratic Party between progressives and other Democrats, but it's also about whether there's a general movement toward the center among Democratic primary voters. What are your thoughts on this?”

In the May primary, progressive Oregon congressional candidates Susheela Jayapal and Jamie McLeod Skinner failed to win seats in this year's Democratic general election. Democratic Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pramila Jayapal blamed their losses on money, but Jayapal noted that the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) did not endorse either candidate. according to Go to Yahoo News.

Philip then turned to Burton and asked him for his thoughts on the loss and any comments from Axelrod.

“I think Bowman ran a campaign that was true to his essence as a progressive. He supported AOC and Bernie Sanders. He had some high-profile interviews with Charlaman the God on The Breakfast Club. But as David pointed out, this district wasn't the place for that. This is a left-of-center district, and I don't think you're going to win by spending $20 million on someone who's completely out of line with the politics of this district,” Burton said.

A few days before the primary, Bowman drew criticism online and from fellow lawmakers for using vulgar language while calling for a Gaza ceasefire at a rally in the Bronx. Latimer's open support for Israel's ongoing war against Hamas led the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to help pump nearly $15 million into the freshman campaign against Bowman, making it one of the most expensive House primaries for Democrats.