Mamdani-backed progressives surge in New York as Israel becomes a defining fault line

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani scored a major political win on Wednesday night after all three congressional candidates he backed won Democratic primaries in the city, and two of them unseated incumbents. The results signaled a stronger progressive and socialist wing inside the Democratic Party, with US policy toward Israel and the war in Gaza playing a central role in several races. In many heavily Democratic districts, victory in the primary is effectively tantamount to winning in November.

In New York’s 13th District, democratic socialist Darializa Avila שבאלייה, supported by Mamdani, defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who has represented the seat since 2017 and chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. The race was seen as one of the night’s clearest symbols because Espaillat had backing from establishment Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. In the 10th District, former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, one of Mamdani’s political allies, beat Rep. Dan Goldman. Both are Jewish, but the contest exposed a sharp split over Israel, with Goldman viewed as more pro-Israel and Lander sharply criticizing the Israeli government’s conduct in Gaza and urging Democrats to reduce the influence of AIPAC and big political money.

In the 7th District, New York State Assembly member Claire Valdez, also a democratic socialist, defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso for the seat opening with the retirement of veteran Rep. Nydia Velázquez. That was another win for Mamdani’s camp over a candidate backed by parts of the older progressive establishment. Not every race moved left, however, as establishment-backed Micah Lasher won in Manhattan’s 12th District, where Jerry Nadler is retiring, and Jack Schlossberg, John F. Kennedy’s grandson, trailed far behind.

The article says the New York contests underscored how Israel has become a major internal Democratic fault line. Mamdani’s allies attacked Israeli policy in Gaza, US support for Israel, and AIPAC’s role in congressional races. After winning, Lander said Democrats are “painfully divided” over relations with Israel and the Palestinians, called the Biden administration’s policy toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “catastrophic failure,” and also warned against antisemitism, saying criticism of Israel is not automatically antisemitism.

Beyond New York, the night also showed that the party is not moving uniformly left. In Utah’s 1st District, moderate Democrat Ben McAdams won a primary in a redrawn seat seen as more favorable to Democrats. In Maryland, state delegate Adrian Boafo won the Democratic primary in the 5th District for the seat being vacated by Steny Hoyer, while Governor Wes Moore won his own primary and Republican Dan Cox secured his party’s nomination for governor. In South Carolina, state Attorney General Alan Wilson won the Republican runoff for governor, in a race that also tested Donald Trump’s influence after he first backed Pamela Evette and later said he supported both candidates.