Bronx middle school principal Jamaal Bowman ousted New York Rep. Eliot Engel in a June primary, landing a major win for the activist left and a stunning defeat for the Democratic establishment.

Due to the unprecedented volume of absentee ballots, local election authorities didnt certify the result until some weeks after Election Day. Bowman had declared victory after the polls closed on June 23, having amassed a 25-percentage-point lead over Engel in in-person votes.

Im ready to get to work, Bowman said Friday in a statement. I cannot wait to get to Washington and cause problems for the people maintaining the status quo.

Engel, the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, has represented parts of the Bronx and lower Westchester County since 1989. His defeat at the hands of a first-time candidate likely marks the end of a congressional career that began 32 years ago with his own successful primary challenge against a longtime incumbent.

Engels lack of presence in his district was noticed by voters, said Christina Greer, a Fordham University political science professor. Even though hes been an incumbent, his district wanted a change.

Engels loss, which came despite the support of Democratic Party leaders, shows that the traditional incumbent advantages cash, name recognition and high-profile endorsements dont inoculate party veterans against the challenge of a left insurgency.

Thats particularly true in New York City, which was also the site of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez s landmark primary win in 2018. That Bowman, an unabashedly left-wing Black candidate, was able to prevail in a district that includes predominantly white, affluent suburbs is, in some ways, even more remarkable.

Its no longer enough to rest on being a Democrat, Greer said. You have to understand the ideological diversity of the party and obviously the racial and ethnic diversity of the party.