Three New York Democrats backed by Mamdani win House seat primaries; 2 incumbents lose
Three progressive candidates endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani won Democratic primaries for House seats on Tuesday night, ousting two incumbents in the process.
Brad Lander, who previously was the city's comptroller, defeated incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman in the 10th congressional district, which includes parts of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Rep. Adriano Espaillat conceded to Mamdani-endorsed Darializa Avila Chevalier in the primary for the 13th District, which covers upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx.
And the third Mamdani-endorsed candidate, Claire Valdez, won the primary for an open House seat representing the 7th District, which includes neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens. Incumbent Rep. Nydia Velázquez, who currently represents the district, is not seeking reelection.
The Democratic Socialists of America organization backed Chevalier and Valdez.
A year ago, the DSA's efforts helped Mamdani stun the local and national political world by soundly defeating former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic mayoral primary, and months later in the general election.
"It's not just a question of electing more Democrats. It's a question of electing better Democrats," Mamdani said Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.
"When I look at these candidacies, I see in them a willingness to also put working people back at the heart of our politics," Mamdani said.
In another closely watched race, to succeed Rep. Jerry Nadler in the 12th District in Manhattan, Micah Lasher defeated his fellow state assemblyman Alex Bores, and a field of other candidates, including Jake Schlossberg, the grandson of late President John F. Kennedy.
Two political action committees affiliated with major artificial intelligence companies had pumped a stunning combined $20 million into the race to back or oppose Bores' candidacy.
The winners of the four primaries are seen as all but locks to win the general election in November, given their heavily Democratic voter populations.