Brad Lander, former New York City Comptroller, has won a Democratic congressional primary, projected to unseat incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman in New York.
Lander, a progressive candidate, was endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and positioned himself to the left of Goldman. Lander criticized Goldman for being too moderate and too accommodating of the Israeli government, arguing for a shift in the Democratic party.
"It’s time to elect Democrats who’ll fight, not fold, against the forces of authoritarianism & corporate greed," Lander stated in a social media post as he cast an early ballot. Lander's campaign highlighted his past arrests during protests, including a sit-in with other elected officials where he was later found not guilty of a misdemeanor obstruction charge.
His platform includes policies such as abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, enacting Medicare for All, increasing housing construction, and pausing U.S. aid to Israel. This victory is seen as a win for Mamdani, who campaigned for Lander and other left-wing candidates. Lander and Mamdani had previously co-endorsed each other in the 2021 New York City mayoral primary.
Goldman received endorsements from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Gov. Kathy Hochul, as well as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Goldman acknowledged that the AIPAC endorsement might have negatively impacted his campaign.
The race also served as a proxy for debates on U.S. support for the Israeli government. Lander has described Israel's actions in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks as a "genocide" and advocated for halting U.S. military aid to the country. Goldman has held a different stance on these issues.
New York's 10th Congressional District, which includes lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, has a significant Jewish population. Lander, who is Jewish, campaigned on a platform of challenging U.S. foreign policy and fostering cooperation between Jewish and Muslim New Yorkers. He stated, "If people want someone who is really going to fight to end Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, to make it so that Jewish New Yorkers and Muslim New Yorkers can work together instead of be divided from each other, and try to address the failures of U.S. foreign policy, the choice is clear."