After Zohran Mamdani’s upset, a new wave of challengers targets incumbents, driven by fury at Donald Trump
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hey are impatient, unafraid and hungry for change. Inspired by Zohran Mamdani’s shock victory in last year’s New York mayoral race, a wave of insurgents is mounting primary challenges against Democratic incumbents ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The emboldened lineup of primary challengers – often, but not always, from the party’s progressive wing – has been fuelled by anger over the party’s tepid response to Donald Trump’s authoritarianism, complicity in the war in Gaza and a crushing affordability crisis.
It has left entrenched Democrats, who for years were able to cruise in safe seats in the House of Representatives, reportedly panicking that they could be swept aside in an anti-establishment revolt reminiscent of the tea party that rocked the Republican party in the 2010 midterms.
