CNN host Kaitlan Collins interrupted a live interview with congressional candidate Brad Lander on Tuesday night to inform him that he had won the Democratic primary in New York's 10th Congressional District, defeating incumbent Dan Goldman.
Collins paused the discussion as results were still being tallied, telling Lander, "I'm gonna do something a little unusual here, so I want you to bear with me... Not many candidates are on CNN when they hear this music."
She then announced CNN's projection, stating that Lander had beaten Goldman with 62.8% of the vote to Goldman's 37%. Lander, who previously served as New York City Comptroller, appeared surprised by the timing of the news.
"Well, thank you. First of all, obviously I'm thrilled," Lander responded. "I did not expect to be on air when the race was called."
Lander expressed his appreciation for the democratic process and pledged to represent the concerns of his constituents.
"I love election day. I like the voters get to go out and cast their ballots and say, here’s who we want to represent us. These are the fights that matter to us," Lander said. "All I can say is I promise to go out every single day and fight for my constituents and the values that they have because we need a country that stands up for working people. I'll be fighting for a city everyone can afford and where everyone is welcome. And I’m really honored to be on your show tonight."
The race was a significant defeat for Goldman, who had held the seat representing Lower Manhattan and parts of western Brooklyn since 2022. His position on Israel and the war in Gaza became a central issue during the campaign.
Goldman, who is Jewish, had previously faced criticism from the left over his support for Israel's military campaign in Gaza following the October 7th Hamas attack. Critics had labeled him a "genocide enabler," a charge he rejected.
"What is going on in the Middle East is horrific. And the idea of accusing someone who you don’t know of supporting a genocide - I mean, it’s crazy," Goldman told CNN earlier in the campaign. "Now, I may disagree as to whether or not there’s a genocide, but come on. We’re better than this."
Lander, also Jewish, had made Goldman's stance on Israel a key point of contention in the race. Goldman had declined to endorse New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani in the previous year's mayoral contest, citing concerns about rising antisemitism.
Lander's victory was also seen as a political win for Mayor Mamdani, who had endorsed Lander. Mamdani's endorsements were closely watched, as he aimed to shift New York's congressional delegation further left. Lander was among three Mamdani-backed candidates who won their respective Democratic primaries on Tuesday.
Lander and Mamdani had previously been rivals in the 2025 Democratic mayoral primary but had cross-endorsed each other to oppose Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani then returned the favor by backing Lander's congressional bid.
Goldman, a former federal prosecutor and lead counsel in Donald Trump's first impeachment inquiry in 2019, was first elected to Congress in 2022. He is also an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune.