George Latimer Bio
George Stephen Latimer (born November 22, 1953) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York’s 16th congressional district since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, he represents a district based in Westchester County in the House of Representatives. Latimer was sworn in to the 119th United States Congress on January 3, 2025, after winning both the 2024 Democratic primary and the general election.
Before his election to Congress, Latimer served as Westchester County Executive from 2017 to 2024, in the New York State Senate from 2013 to 2017, and in the New York State Assembly from 2005 to 2012. Earlier in his career, he served on the Rye City Council and the Westchester County Board of Legislators, including a term as board chairman. He also worked for two decades as a marketing executive in the hospitality industry before fully committing to public service.
Early Life and Background
George Stephen Latimer was born in Mount Vernon, New York, on November 22, 1953, to Stanley and Loretta (née Miner) Latimer. He grew up in the same Westchester County city where he would later return as a public servant. He graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1970, completing his secondary education locally before pursuing higher education in the New York City area.
Latimer commuted to Fordham University in the Bronx, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1974. After college, he asked his father for a loan to help fund his graduate studies. He went on to earn a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from New York University’s Wagner School, completing the degree in 1976. While in graduate school, he worked part-time as a budget analyst at Fordham to support himself.
Following his graduate work, Latimer took a position as housing coordinator in Mount Vernon, helping to set up Section 8 housing in the city. He later transitioned into the private sector, working for two decades as a marketing executive in the hospitality industry. His roles included work for major organizations such as subsidiaries of Nestlé and ITT, gaining corporate experience that would later inform his approach to public administration.
Path to US Politics
Latimer’s path into US politics began at the local level in 1987, when he first ran for public office and won a seat on the Rye City Council, finishing first in a field of six major party candidates. In 1991, he was elevated to the Westchester County Board of Legislators, becoming the first Democrat ever to win the 7th District seat representing Rye, Larchmont, and Mamaroneck. He was re-elected in 1993, 1995, and 1997, steadily building a reputation as a persistent local campaigner.
In January 1998, Democrats won a majority of seats on the county board for the first time in 90 years, and Latimer was elected to chair the board, becoming the first Democrat ever elected to that post. He served a second term as chairman from 2000 to 2001 and was elected county Democratic Party chairman in September 2002 for a two-year term. These leadership roles at the county level established him as one of the most prominent Democratic figures in Westchester.
In 2004, Latimer won a seat in the New York State Assembly, representing the 91st District, which included Sound Shore communities such as New Rochelle, Rye Brook, and Port Chester. He served in the Assembly from 2005 to 2012 before moving up to the New York State Senate in 2013. His progression from city council to county legislature to state assembly to state senate reflected a steady, multi-decade rise through elected office in New York.
George Latimer Career
Early Career (1987–2004)
Latimer’s early political career was rooted in suburban Westchester County. After winning the Rye City Council seat in 1987, he moved to the county legislature in 1991 and went on to chair that body. In 2002, he was elected county Democratic Party chairman, a position he held for two years, helping to organize the local party while continuing to serve in his legislative seat.
By 2003, after winning re-election to the County Legislature once more, Latimer was ready to move to statewide office. He sought and won a seat in the New York State Assembly in 2004, taking office in 2005. This transition marked his shift from county-level to state-level politics and broadened the constituency he represented.
New York State Assembly Breakthrough (2005–2012)
Latimer served in the New York State Assembly from 2005 to 2012, representing the 91st District. The district included the Sound Shore communities of New Rochelle, Rye Brook, and Port Chester, along with the same areas he had represented on the county board. His Assembly tenure gave him experience working on state-level policy and budget matters.
During this period, Latimer established a record of consistent electoral success and built relationships with fellow legislators in Albany. He also continued to be active in county Democratic politics, serving as county party chairman during the early years of his Assembly service. By the time he left the Assembly in 2012, he had positioned himself as a leading candidate for higher office.
New York State Senate Era (2013–2017)
In 2012, Latimer ran for the New York State Senate in the 37th District against Republican Bob Cohen, following the retirement announcement of Democratic Senator Suzi Oppenheimer. He won the election and served in the State Senate from 2013 to 2017, representing a district in Westchester County.
His Senate tenure was not without controversy. In 2017, Latimer missed a state budget vote while on a trip to London. His Republican opponent in the 2017 county executive race, Rob Astorino, called on him to step down from the state Senate’s Education Committee over the missed vote. Latimer defended the trip and accused Astorino of trying to divert voters’ attention during the campaign.
Westchester County Executive Era (2017–2024)
In 2017, Latimer challenged Republican incumbent Rob Astorino for Westchester County Executive. During the campaign, Astorino raised issues including a delinquent property tax bill on a house belonging to Latimer’s late mother-in-law, and Latimer’s car-registration suspension due to unpaid parking tickets. Latimer defeated Astorino by 14 points despite being outspent more than three-to-one, and was re-elected to a second term on November 2, 2021.
As County Executive, Latimer banned gun shows on public property, outlawed gay conversion therapy, expanded the role of the county’s human rights division, and signed the Immigration Protection Act limiting the county’s cooperation with federal investigations of undocumented workers. He also increased property taxes by two percent, supported a one percent sales tax increase, implemented a ban on questions about applicants’ criminal backgrounds on job applications, and oversaw the county’s acceptance of asylum seekers in 2023.
U.S. House of Representatives Era (2025–Present)
In December 2023, Latimer announced that he would run for the United States House of Representatives in 2024, challenging incumbent U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman in the June 25 Democratic primary in New York’s 16th congressional district. Latimer ran as a pro-Israel Democrat, while Bowman was critical of U.S. support for Israel in the Gaza war. The New York Times described the contest as a marquee showcase of the party’s divisions over the Israel-Hamas war.
The primary became the most expensive House primary in U.S. history, with $15 million in outside spending benefiting Latimer’s campaign. He received endorsements from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former U.S. representatives Eliot Engel and Nita Lowey, and most area state legislators. Latimer defeated Bowman 58.6% to 41.4%, a result seen as a major defeat for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. He went on to win the general election against Republican Miriam Flisser and was sworn in to the 119th United States Congress on January 3, 2025. As of December 2024, he had never lost an election.
Notable Events and Milestones
Latimer’s 2024 Democratic primary victory over incumbent Jamaal Bowman stands as the signature event of his career, marking both the most expensive House primary in U.S. history and a defining moment in the national debate over the Democratic Party’s direction. His earlier defeat of Rob Astorino in 2017, achieved despite being outspent more than three-to-one, was another milestone that established his crossover appeal in a traditionally competitive county. His 1998 election as the first Democratic chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators in 90 years marked the start of his rise to statewide prominence.
George Latimer Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
George Stephen Latimer was born to Stanley and Loretta (née Miner) Latimer in Mount Vernon, New York. His father, Stanley, helped fund his graduate education with a loan that Latimer later repaid after completing his MPA at New York University. The family had deep roots in Mount Vernon, where Latimer returned after graduate school to work as a housing coordinator and launch his career in public service.
Personal Life
Latimer is married to Robin Phelps Latimer, whom he met in the 1970s while working in sales for Stouffer Corporation in White Plains, New York. Together they have a daughter named Meagan. The family has long been based in Westchester County, the same region Latimer has represented in various elected offices since the late 1980s.