Mamdani Primary Sweep
Mamdani-backed candidates sweep New York Democratic primaries, unseating two congressional incumbents.
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Top allies of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani swept Democratic congressional primaries on Tuesday, ousting two incumbents and handing the democratic socialist mayor a stunning show of federal power. The Associated Press reported the victories mark a direct expansion of Mamdani's political movement from City Hall to Capitol Hill.
Brad Lander won New York's 10th Congressional District with 64% of the vote, defeating two-term incumbent Dan Goldman. Darializa Avila Chevalier unseated five-term incumbent Adriano Espaillat in NY-13. Claire Valdez flipped NY-07 with 58% of the vote. All three ran with Mamdani's explicit backing and support from the Democratic Socialists of America.
Two Incumbents Fall in a Single Night
Dan Goldman, heir to the Levi Strauss fortune and the lead counsel in Trump's first impeachment, lost to former City Comptroller Lander by nearly 30 points. NY1 called the race just 10 minutes after polls closed at 9 PM. Lander declared, "This was a test of whether our movement could translate mayoral energy into federal power. New York has answered," according to City & State NY.
In NY-13, community organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated Adriano Espaillat, the first Dominican-American member of Congress and chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Late returns after 11:45 PM showed her pulling ahead, with CBS News projecting the win. Her campaign ran on a "Babies, Not Bombs" platform and drew sharp contrasts with Espaillat's ties to pro-Israel lobbying groups.
Mamdani's Movement Built on a New Voter Base
Tuesday's results grew directly from Mamdani's 2025 mayoral win, which saw a 20-percentage-point jump in voter turnout — the highest since 1993. That surge created a younger, more progressive electorate in Western Queens and Northern Brooklyn. Political analysts have dubbed this geographic stronghold the "Commie Corridor," according to The 19th News.
Just days before the vote, Mamdani held a Get Out The Vote rally in Brooklyn with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders. He told the crowd, "The Democratic Party must change." At a victory party in East Williamsburg after midnight, Mamdani called the results a "political earthquake," according to The Guardian.
Gaza and AIPAC Drove Voters Away From Incumbents
Foreign policy shaped the outcome in multiple races. Goldman and Espaillat both received backing from AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group. Chevalier and Valdez ran hard against U.S. military aid to Israel. Voters in heavily progressive districts punished incumbents seen as too close to the pro-Israel lobby, according to The Nation.
Claire Valdez, a democratic socialist State Assembly member, defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in NY-07 with 58% of the vote. Reynoso trailed at 33%. The seat had been held by the retiring Nydia Velázquez. Valdez's win gives the Mamdani slate a clean sweep across all three targeted races, The 19th News reported.
Establishment Democrats Alarmed by National Implications
Moderate strategists reacted with alarm. Veteran consultant Hank Sheinkopf warned the results could signal a "national strategy shift" for the Democratic Party toward a more populist, anti-corporate stance. The defeat of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair will likely force a rethink at the Democratic National Committee ahead of the 2026 midterms, according to The Associated Press.
With allies now headed to Congress, Mamdani gains a direct pipeline for his "Tax the Rich" agenda. His $124.7 billion city budget relies on new taxes on corporations and millionaires. Analysts also predict a "chilling effect" on New York real estate, as the incoming lawmakers have vowed to end tax breaks for developers and strengthen tenant protections, according to The Associated Press.
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