Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is projected to successfully unseat an incumbent congressman in New York’s Democratic primaries Tuesday, marking another win for a growing coalition of progressive candidates. Lander, who earned an endorsement from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, had criticized his opponent, Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), as too moderate and too accommodating of the Israeli government. “It’s time to elect Democrats who’ll fight, not fold, against the forces of authoritarianism & corporate greed,” Lander wrote in a social media post as he cast an early ballot Sunday. Lander, a longtime progressive, pitched himself to the left of Goldman, an heir of blue jean entrepreneur Levi Strauss. Lander’s campaign launch featured an advertisement showing him being arrested by federal agents when he attempted to accompany a man attending proceedings in immigration court. (Prosecutors did not bring charges in that case.) He was arrested a second time during a sit-in protest with other elected officials. In that instance, Lander opted for a bench trial and was recently found not guilty of a misdemeanor obstruction charge.Lander’s platform includes abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, instituting “Medicare for All,” building new housing, and pausing U.S. aid to Israel. In addition to pushing New York’s congressional delegation to the left, Lander’s win also marks a victory for Mamdani, the democratic socialist who campaigned for Lander and a handful of other left-wing congressional hopefuls and downballot candidates ahead of Tuesday’s primary. Lander and Mamdani notably co-endorsed each other ahead of last year’s New York City mayoral primary campaign, when the city’s ranked-choice voting system for local elections helped bolster both candidates; Lander finished third in that contest behind Mamdani and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Goldman declined to endorse Mamdani even after he became the Democratic Party’s nominee for mayor. In backing Mamdani, Lander broadened the reach for his eventual congressional run and earned valuable political capital. He launched his congressional campaign in December, the month following the conclusion of the mayor’s race, having secured not only Mamdani’s endorsement but also that of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and other progressives. Goldman was endorsed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), as well as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which even the candidate acknowledged recently might have hurt his cause. Brad Lander (right), casts a ballot at a polling location inside John Jay High School during early voting for a primary election in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Sunday.Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThe race was also a proxy for U.S. support of the Israeli government. Lander has called Israel’s actions in Gaza following Oct. 7, 2023, a “genocide” and advocated for pausing U.S. military aid to the country — a clear distinction from Goldman on both points. New York’s 10th Congressional District, which covers lower Manhattan and several Brooklyn neighborhoods, is among the most Jewish districts in the county; over 1 in 5 of the district’s residents are Jewish, according to one 2024 study, as are both Lander and Goldman. By backing Lander, who advertised that he would not be “doing AIPAC’s bidding,” residents also voted to grow the ranks of congressional Democrats willing to check Israel, including by withholding financial and military support. “If people want someone who is really going to fight to end Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, to make it so that Jewish New Yorkers and Muslim New Yorkers can work together instead of be divided from each other, and try to address the failures of U.S. foreign policy, the choice is clear,” Lander said at a recent debate.