Republicans hold a 217-212 majority in the U.S. House, with five seats vacant and one held by an independent. New York’s Democratic primaries on Tuesday were set up to show how much of the fight to change that runs through the party’s left.
The Guardian reported that voters in Maryland and Utah were also nominating congressional candidates that day, and South Carolina held runoffs. But New York drew the national attention. The state is expected to play a decisive role in deciding the House majority in November.
The left against the center
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist elected last year, had backed three leftwing candidates. At a rally with them and Sen. Bernie Sanders the Thursday before, he said: “People often ask me what I think of the state of the Democratic party. This slate here today is our answer. The Democratic party must change.”
Brad Lander, a former city comptroller, was challenging Rep. Dan Goldman in the 10th district, which covers lower Manhattan and a large part of Brooklyn. A survey in late May gave Lander a convincing lead, though the paper noted polling in local races can swing. Goldman, first elected in 2022, had the backing of House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Darializa Avila Chevalier, 32, was running against Rep. Adriano Espaillat, 71, a five-term incumbent and chair of the congressional Hispanic caucus. She argued he was out of touch with young and working-class residents. He pointed to his experience and his advocacy for immigrants and civil rights. In the 7th district, Claire Valdez faced Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso for the open seat of Rep. Nydia Velazquez, who is retiring after 17 terms. Reynoso had endorsements from Jeffries and Velazquez.
Israel and Gaza were part of several races. Lander and Valdez have called Israel’s war in Gaza genocide, and Goldman and Espaillat faced attacks over their ties to the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC.
Other races to watch
In the 12th district, the state’s wealthiest, Jack Schlossberg, 33, a grandson of John F. Kennedy, was running a meme-heavy campaign that appeared to be trailing Micah Lasher, who had Rep. Jerry Nadler’s endorsement, and Alex Bores. AI industry investors had put money into super PACs opposing Bores over a state bill he proposed to regulate the industry. George Conway, the former Republican turned Trump critic, had outraised the field.
Democrats also hope to flip the 17th district north of the city, held by two-term Republican Mike Lawler. It is one of only three districts nationwide that voted for Kamala Harris in 2024 but elected a Republican to Congress.
After the votes
CBS12 reported that the results kept the argument going. Zach Kraft, a Republican National Committee regional communications director, said every Mamdani-endorsed candidate in the closely watched races won, and argued that shows a shift within the party. He said the results suggest moderates are losing influence.
Supporters of the winners say the wins reflect voter frustration over affordability, housing costs, health care access and economic inequality. Analysts remain split on whether primary wins in heavily Democratic districts will carry over to wider races, since primary voters tend to be more ideological than general election voters.
Sources
- New Yorkers vote as Democrats weigh competing visions in era of Trump
- New York primary results fuel debate over Democratic party's direction
