Top Democrats insist that they’re unfazed by the party’s forming a “Zohran Mamdani wing,” after the New York City mayor’s stunningly successful primary night.
But there is growing angst among many sitting congressional Democrats after Mamdani allies won three primaries, including defeats of incumbent Reps. Adriano Espaillat and Dan Goldman. And, most immediately, they worry it will make it tougher to flip the House this year, with Republicans eager to tee up the Mamdani slate’s most controversial positions for attack ads in battlegrounds across the country.
“Obviously, the socialists had a big win last night. The question is, are we going to let them take over the party? Or are we going to stand up and fight back?” said Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, a moderate Democrat who has criticized Mamdani’s politics and how he’s addressed allies of Israel. “Many of us believe, as I do, that if you’re a socialist, you’re not a Democrat.”
Gottheimer and others worry that Republicans will try to yoke their most vulnerable members to what they see as far-left ultra-progressives — and they worry that it will only highlight Democratic divisions in a must-win election year.
“If you ask me, it was not a good night for New York,” Rep. Greg Meeks, a powerful New York Democrat who is close with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, told CNN when asked about deleted posts from Darializa Avila Chevalier, who defeated Espaillat, expressing support for abolishing police, prisons and borders.
