Mamdani allies win multiple Democratic primaries in New York City
Candidates aligned with Mayor Mamdani won several congressional primaries, expanding the influence of the party's democratic socialist wing
NEW YORK, United States (MNTV) – A string of Democratic primary victories in New York City has strengthened Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his allies, signaling further consolidation of the party’s democratic socialist wing and a renewed push to reshape the Democratic Party in Washington.
The most significant result came in New York’s 10th Congressional District, where former city Comptroller Brad Lander defeated incumbent Representative Dan Goldman by a decisive margin, taking about two-thirds of the vote — an early, clear win for Mamdani-aligned candidates in a closely watched district.
In Brooklyn’s 7th District, state legislator Claire Valdez won an open-seat primary, defeating Borough President Antonio Reynoso despite his establishment backing and deep local ties.
Valdez campaigned on Medicare for All and expanded public housing. In another contest, Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated long-serving Representative Adriano Espaillat, a senior figure in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, after challengers framed the race as a choice between established leadership and a more activist agenda.
Across all three districts, Mamdani-aligned candidates gained traction in rapidly changing neighborhoods where housing costs, gentrification, and inequality dominate — areas where Mamdani also ran strongly in his mayoral campaign, suggesting an organizational base capable of moving down-ballot races.
The wins come amid a broader wave of progressive and democratic socialist gains in primaries nationwide, with similar candidates performing strongly in Maine, California, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and remaining competitive in upcoming Senate primaries in Michigan and Minnesota.
Foreign policy was a defining feature of the New York races, particularly the war in Gaza. Progressive challengers took sharply critical positions on Israel’s conduct, with several describing it as genocide — a central dividing line with establishment-backed incumbents, who leaned on legislative experience and institutional records.
Challengers framed those credentials as insufficient, arguing the party needs a more confrontational approach to inequality, housing, and foreign policy accountability.
In a separate, heavily funded race in the 12th District, Assemblyman Micah Lasher won the Democratic nomination in a contest centered on artificial intelligence regulation.
Backed by Representative Jerrold Nadler, Governor Kathy Hochul, and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Lasher prevailed by emphasizing local relationships and experience over the national policy debate.
Together, the results point to growing organizational strength among democratic socialist candidates in New York and an ongoing struggle over the party’s direction between its establishment and an ascendant progressive faction.
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