New York City primaries saw a sweep of Democratic candidates endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a development that a liberal writer for MS NOW described as a "genuinely scary night for New York City Jews." The candidates, who have expressed anti-Israel sentiments, secured victories in congressional districts, including ousting incumbent Democratic Representatives Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat.
Mamdani's endorsed candidates Brad Lander, Darializa Avila Chevalier, and Claire Valdez all won their respective primary races. These victories have solidified Mamdani's influence within the Democratic Party.
The MS NOW writer, Michael A. Cohen, voiced his concerns on social media, stating that liberals have "absolutely convinced themselves that there is no anti-Semitism on the left." He pointed to instances where he believes such issues are ignored despite "practically daily examples." Cohen specifically cited Lander's remarks about feeling "queasy" when criticizing the pro-Israel group AIPAC due to associations with insinuations about Jews, money, and power, while still needing to do so for progressive political advancement.
Following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, Mamdani's chosen candidates have adopted strong anti-Israel positions. Lander stated at a rally alongside Mamdani, "As a proud Jewish New Yorker, I will join you in that fight to end occupation and apartheid and genocide." Darializa Avila Chevalier attended a pro-Palestinian rally in Times Square on Oct. 8, 2023, the day after the attack on Israel, though she maintained she "would never celebrate the death of any human being." Claire Valdez's campaign website accused the federal government of sending "billions to fund genocide in Palestine."