All three candidates that had New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s backing won Tuesday’s Democratic congressional primaries for the U.S. House, marking a victory for the democratic socialist movement over the party establishment.
Bucking Democratic leaders, Mamdani endorsed Brad Lander, Claire Valdez, and Darializa Avila Chevalier in three competitive House primaries in New York City. All three candidates’ campaigns were characterized by progressive economic policies and criticisms of U.S. military and financial support for Israel, which they accused of committing “genocide” in Gaza. The three Democratic nominees are expected to win in the general election in the fall.
Two of Mamdani’s endorsees—Lander and Avila Chevalier—unseated Democratic incumbents, including the powerful chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
The three districts were among those where Mamdani performed best in the November mayoral election, when he defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who had the backing of top establishment Democrats.
Brad Lander
