Mamdani’s Backing Leads to Clean Sweep in New York Democratic Primaries

Mon Jul 13 2026 03:39:21 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani’s newly endorsed candidates win the 10th, 7th and 13th districts, reshaping the Democratic field amid Israel‑Gaza tensions.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s endorsement campaign culminated in New York’s 10th, 7th and 13th congressional primaries, where progressive challengers Brad Lander, Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier took on long‑time incumbents. Lander’s victory over Dan Goldman stokes debate over Israel’s conduct while both veterans’ losses in a city battling its factional divide demonstrate a clear leftward shift. The outcomes, coupled with Trump’s post‑primary comments, highlight the increasingly ideological fault lines within the Democratic Party, raising questions about the electorate’s orientation for the upcoming midterm elections.

Mamdani’s Backing Leads to Clean Sweep in New York Democratic Primaries

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s shift toward democratic socialists recently paid off when his endorsed candidates triumphed in New York’s 10th, 7th and 13th congressional districts. Progressive challenger Brad Lander ousted two‑term incumbent Dan Goldman, while Assemblywoman Claire Valdez beat Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and doctoral student Darializa Avila Chevalier toppled Adriano Espaillat.

Lander’s campaign hinged on a hardline stance against Israel’s conduct in the Gaza war, an accusation that sparked intense backlash from pro‑Israel groups. His win was 65.7 % to Goldman’s 34.1 % in the 10th district, a margin that testified to a left‑leaning appetite among voters. Mamdani praised Lander for a “vision of politics that is more than what we've seen for so long,” while Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont endorsed the Brooklyn candidate and called for tougher policy reforms.

In the 7th district, Valdez’s victory over Reynoso noted the city’s embrace of newcomers who champion “working people” issues such as abolishing ICE and raising taxes on the affluent. The 13th district saw Chevalier, who actively participates in pro‑Palestinian protests, taking on Espaillat, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Mamdani called Chevalier “a person of clarity, of conscience and of conviction.”

The primary results also unearthed sharp fissures over Israel’s policy and the broader ideological divide within the Democratic Party. Republican former president Donald Trump took to social media to rally support for Goldman, likening him to a “weak and pathetic” opponent and threatened to push the state toward extreme skepticism of America’s left wing.

Casa de la casa, the coffee shop that rejected Goldman, quietly removed a statement describing the congressman’s as “racists” on its social‑media post after backlash. The incident underscores how polarised the electorate is, with both jailed and renowned figures—such as Churchill‑descendant Jack Schlossberg and ex‑conservative lawyer George Conway—facing steep losses.

While House Leader Hakeem Jeffries cautioned saying “A handful of primaries that go in one direction or the other aren’t going to reshape who we are as House Democrats,” the New York outcomes signify a growing momentum for progressive agendas ahead of the 2026 midterms.