House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has yet to comment on whether New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani represents the future of the Democratic Party.
Three candidates backed by Mamdani in New York — Darializa Avila Chevalier, Brad Lander, and Claire Valdez — won their Democratic primary elections on Tuesday, defeating more moderate opponents. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., both declined to answer questions regarding the influence of socialism within the Democratic Party following these results.
Pelosi, a prominent moderate Democrat, did not respond when asked by Fox News Digital for her reaction to the victories of the Mamdani-backed candidates. In a 2019 interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes, Pelosi stated, "I will reject socialism as an economic system" and asserted that it does not represent the Democratic Party's full platform. "If people have that view, that's their view. That is not the view of the Democratic Party," she said at the time.
Omar, a member of the progressive "Squad," also evaded questions about the New York primary results and whether the victorious socialist candidates could create complications for House Democrats and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Although Omar has not formally identified as a socialist, she has supported policies often associated with socialism and has received backing from the Democratic Socialists of America.
In contrast, Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., welcomed the incoming lawmakers. "I think Democrats in New York elected three new Democrats that will join our caucus, and I'm looking forward for them participating," Johnson told Fox News Digital. He argued that the candidates' criticisms are directed at the Israeli government rather than Israel itself. "They were not anti-Israel. They were anti-Israeli government," Johnson stated. "The government of Benjamin Netanyahu has done a grave disservice to the nation of Israel and to its people."
Johnson also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's relationship with President Donald Trump, condemning their involvement in initiating the war with Iran. "The people there will have an opportunity to correct the mistake that they made," Johnson said. "The same way that the people of America have the opportunity to correct this mistake that we made in electing Donald Trump, who unfortunately got manipulated into war by Benjamin Netanyahu."
Lander, who is Jewish, addressed criticism of Israel in his victory speech, stating, "You can criticize Israel and not be antisemitic. You can be an anti-Zionist and not be antisemitic." The three primary winners have all voiced criticism of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, positioning this issue as a significant point for the Democratic Party's progressive wing.
Pelosi has previously endorsed socialist candidates, including Dean Preston for California’s District 5 supervisor in 2024, despite her stated rejection of socialism as an economic system.