Candidates endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America pulled off a string of wins in Democratic congressional primaries Tuesday, knocking out several establishment incumbents and pushing forward a group of candidates who placed criticism of Israel at the heart of their campaigns.
One of the notable victors was Brad Lander, a Jewish progressive and vocal critic of Israel, who unseated incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman. Lander has vowed to fight against U.S. military assistance to what he called the “apartheid state” of Israel.
Lander’s campaign received unexpected attention when a Brooklyn café refused service to his opponent, incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman, due to Goldman’s stance on Israel. Goldman was at the café with his 7-year-old daughter when he was handed an unsolicited refund. The café then posted on social media, writing: “Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference?”
Following that incident, the Justice Department launched an investigation into the Poetica coffee shop for alleged illegal discrimination after the establishment publicly boasted about turning Goldman away.
In another closely watched race, Darializa Chevalier — a doctoral student at Columbia University and anti-Israel activist — was leading veteran Rep. Adriano Espaillat 49% to 46% in New York’s 13th Congressional District, which covers upper Manhattan and portions of the Bronx, with most ballots counted. Chevalier previously organized a pro-Palestinian protest encampment at Columbia University, attended a rally the day after the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel that appeared to celebrate the assault, has written online that “Israel doesn’t exist,” and has voiced support for Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh.
Mamdani also threw his support behind Claire Valdez, who defeated Reynoso by a wide margin of 56% to 36%. Throughout the campaign, Valdez criticized her opponent for not labeling Israel’s military campaign a “genocide” quickly enough. She began accusing Israel’s military of war crimes in October 2023, shortly after the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and took 251 captives. Israel launched its ground operation on October 27, 2023, just weeks after the massacre. Valdez also alleged that Reynoso had accepted money from AIPAC, a claim that was later found to be false.
The results further cemented Mamdani’s growing clout within New York Democratic politics and broadened the footprint of candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America. All three winning candidates are considered strong favorites in their heavily Democratic districts come November.
In other New York political news, State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli held onto his seat despite pressure from activists pushing for divestment from Israel-linked investments. In upstate New York, President Donald Trump secured a Republican primary win with the nomination of businessman Anthony Constantino.
