New York's congressional primaries saw incumbent Democrats facing strong challenges Tuesday, with progressive candidates making significant inroads and a Kennedy family member entering the political arena. At least one incumbent, U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman, was defeated by Brad Lander, a former city comptroller and ally of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist, backed a slate of candidates aiming to push the Democratic Party further left on issues such as the war in Gaza. Another Mamdani ally, state Assembly Member Claire Valdez, defeated the chosen successor of retiring U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez. These outcomes could lead to at least two new allies in Congress for the New York mayor.
"It’s not just a question of electing more Democrats. It’s a question of electing better Democrats," Mamdani stated Tuesday. "When I look at these candidacies, I see in them a willingness to also put working people back at the heart of our politics."
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries downplayed the potential impact of Mamdani-backed candidates, should they win. "There are 215 members of the House Democratic caucus. A handful of primaries that go in one direction or the other, in a given state or two, aren’t going to reshape who we are as House Democrats," Jeffries said.
Meanwhile, Jack Schlossberg, grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, is competing in a crowded field for a seat vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler. Mamdani has not endorsed a candidate in this race. Schlossberg, 33, faces scrutiny over his work experience in a district that covers much of Manhattan. His opponents include state Assembly members Micah Lasher and Alex Bores, as well as George Conway, co-founder of The Lincoln Project.
Mamdani's endorsed candidates, including Lander and Valdez, have advocated for policies such as abolishing ICE, condemning the actions in Israel, and increasing taxes on the wealthy.
One of Mamdani's more contentious endorsements was Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat. Avila Chevalier, who has not held political office, has been criticized for past social media posts, including one about former Vice President Kamala Harris, for which she has since apologized. Espaillat's allies have questioned Avila Chevalier's fitness for office, citing her history of inflammatory posts.
In the race between Lander and Goldman, the war in Gaza served as a significant dividing line. Lander criticized Goldman for not taking a stronger stance against Israel's military actions, while Goldman has condemned settler violence but has not labeled the conflict a genocide. Lander himself was recently acquitted of charges related to a protest.
In a Republican primary in northern New York, Anthony Constantino, a Trump supporter with no prior political experience, is challenging state Assembly Member Robert Smullen for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik. Constantino has received Trump's endorsement.
"We have agreed to strongly disagree," Jeffries said of Mamdani on Capitol Hill. "There are 215 members of the House Democratic caucus. A handful of primaries that go in one direction or the other, in a given state or two, aren’t going to reshape who we are as House Democrats."