Bowman, Jamaal, 1976-

Jamaal Bowman (born April 1, 1976) is an American politician and educator serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 16th congressional district since 2021. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Born in Manhattan, at age 16, he moved with his family to Sayreville, New Jersey, where he attended Sayreville War Memorial High School. Bowman briefly attended Potomac State Junior College before earning a Bachelor of Arts in sports management from the University of New Haven in 1999. Bowman later earned a Master of Arts in counseling from Mercy College and a Doctor of Education in educational leadership from Manhattanville College. After earning his undergraduate degree, Bowman decided not to pursue a career in sports management. Upon the suggestion of a family friend who worked for the New York City Department of Education, Bowman began working as an educator. Bowman's first job was as a crisis management teacher in a South Bronx elementary school. In 2009, he founded Cornerstone Academy for Social Action, a public middle school in the Bronx.

The Justice Democrats recruited Bowman to run for the United States House of Representatives in New York's 16th congressional district, represented by 16-term incumbent Eliot Engel, in the 2020 elections. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a large portion of ballots were cast absentee. However, because of Bowman's 26-point lead on election night, news outlets quickly started referring to him as the presumptive Democratic nominee. On July 17, 2020, based on their analysis of the absentee ballot count, the Associated Press called the primary race for Bowman. Bowman's primary victory all but guaranteed he would win in the general election in November due to the 16th's heavily Democratic nature and the lack of Republican opposition. He won in a landslide with 84 percent of the vote against a Conservative Party candidate.