House progressives are facing the biggest threat to their power in years after Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s (D-N.Y.) ouster in New York.

Bowman, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), became the first “Squad” member to lose reelection after he was defeated by moderate George Latimer in a race that was defined by the inflamed intraparty tensions over the Israel-Hamas war.

Members of the left are also staring down the possibility of a second major loss as Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), another Squad member, faces a strong Democratic challenger in August, prompting questions about the influence progressives will hold in Congress going forward.

“I was supporting Jamaal, and it’s sad to see him lose that race, obviously he’s a colleague, a member of the CPC and fellow progressive,” said Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Fla.).

“Losing a member of the CPC does chip away at the progressive movement,” Frost added. “A lot of times [you] take a few steps forward and you take a few steps back and you keep going forward.”

Bowman’s defeat exposed flaws in the left’s campaign playbook. He had already lost the confidence of fellow progressives, who saw his reelection against Latimer, the Westchester County executive, as a long shot. Many organizers who wanted to see Bowman pull off an unlikely victory knew his chances were slim.

Progressives saw the election as a referendum on “big money” in politics, with the 16th Congressional District serving as a laboratory for pro-Israel groups. The race was the most expensive House Democratic primary in history, largely thanks to the contributions of those groups.

At the center of the cash dash was the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which pumped roughly $14 million into the race for anti-Bowman, pro-Latimer ads.

“It was money, I think,” said Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), a former chair of the CPC. “The messaging is a little bit all over in the primary, that's a bit of the problem, but when you have that much money influencing what is being talked about, and it's not coming from either candidate, I mean, that is fundamentally the problem.”

Michael Ceraso, a veteran Democratic strategist, said the inordinate amount of spending seen........

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