Rep. Bowman’s Mother Dies of COVID-19

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) wears a mask as he walks through the Canon Tunnel to the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 12, 2021. Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images

The mother of Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) died of COVID-19 on Feb. 14, the lawmaker shared on Twitter.

“It is with deep sorrow that I share the passing of our mother, Ms. Pauline Bowman. She battled Covid for many weeks before transitioning on Valentine’s Day,” Bowman said. “Our mother raised us to live our lives with love and joy with and for each other. I share her legacy with all of you.”

A number of lawmakers responded with their condolences.

“I am so sorry for your loss,” Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) wrote on Twitter.

“No, no! I am so sorry JB. Losing a parent is so hard. Sending you love and strength. I am here for you,” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) wrote on Twitter.

Bowman’s campaign website states that “he didn’t have much growing up, but his mother provided him all that he needed: love, a stable family, and a sense of community.”

Other members of Congress have lost relatives to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, including Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). The CCP virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, causes the disease COVID-19.

Bowman is a first-term House lawmaker representing New York’s 16th Congressional District, which encompasses parts of The Bronx, Yonkers, New Rochelle, and Scarsdale. He is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, which counts Tlaib and Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) among its members. Prior to his run for Congress, Bowman served as the founding principal for the Cornerstone Academy for Social Action Middle School in the Bronx.

At least 71 members of the House and Senate have been diagnosed with the CCP virus, according to GovTrack.

Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas) died from the CCP virus on Feb. 7. Congressman-elect Luke Letlow (R-La.) died of a heart attack on Dec. 29, 2020, following a procedure related to his COVID-19 infection.

Reps. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) and Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) tested positive in late January.

More than 485,000 people died from the CCP virus in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.