Anti-Israel Ex-Congressman Jamaal Bowman Angling for NYC Schools Chancellor Under Mamdani

NEW YORK – Disgraced former Congressman Jamaal Bowman, best known for pulling a Capitol Hill fire alarm to delay a vote and his anti-Israel rhetoric, is lobbying hard to become New York City’s next schools chancellor under incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

According to the New York Post, Bowman — a former middle school principal who once ran a school without a valid license — has been “pushing hard” for the role, vowing to lead what he calls a “revolution in our public schools.”

Bowman, 49, campaigned for Mamdani and is reportedly leaning on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the city’s teachers’ union to help secure the appointment. But critics warn his record is alarming.

During his time in Congress, Bowman voted against Iron Dome funding, boycotted President Isaac Herzog’s speech to Congress, and questioned reports of Hamas atrocities on October 7 — positions that placed him firmly among the far-left’s anti-Israel faction. He was also censured by the House after his infamous fire alarm stunt in 2023.

“This is beyond troubling — all New Yorkers have something to worry about here, especially Jews,” City University trustee Jeffrey Wiesenfeld told the Post.

Bowman faces competition from several others eyeing the city’s top education post, including current Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, Brooklyn Councilwoman Rita Joseph, and former Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter.

Mayor-elect Mamdani — himself a Democratic Socialist and longtime ally of Bowman — has not yet announced his choice.