Zohran Mamdani-backed candidates excel in congressional primaries

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Science For All The weekly newsletter from science writers takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers THEdge At the cutting edge of education and careers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there Gender Agenda Stories from beyond the binary. The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. Updated - June 24, 2026 11:39 am IST - WASHINGTON New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, speaks to supporters for Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier during an election night watch party on Tuesday (June 23, 2026) in New York. | Photo Credit: AP New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s endorsements loomed large over three congressional primaries on Tuesday (June 24, 2026) as he used his popularity to help replace two incumbent Democrats with challengers to their left on issues such as Israel and immigration. Also read | Zohran Mamdani skips annual parade celebrating Israel Mr. Mamdani’s slate of candidates with ties to the Democratic Socialists of America swept out area incumbent Democrats in a stunning win for the 34-year-old mayor. Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander unseated Representative Dan Goldman in a Lower Manhattan-area district, Assemblymember Claire Valdez defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in an open seat being vacated by retiring Representative Nydia Velazquez and activist Darializa Avila Chevalier narrowly defeated Representative Adriano Espaillat, a five-term congressman and head of the Hispanic caucus. All three are expected to win their elections in November, potentially complicating House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries' role as the likely next speaker if Democrats win control of the House of Representatives. Three new incoming congressional Democrats with no allegiance to the Democratic establishment will give Republicans new rhetorical ammunition to paint the party as radicals overtaken by socialism. In addition to New York, Maryland and Utah both held primaries on Tuesday (June 23, 2026), in addition to a gubernatorial runoff in South Carolina. Three Mamdani-backed candidates won their House primaries Tuesday (June 23, 2026) night, increasing the clout of the Democratic Socialists of America, which now claims several members of Congress, and expanding their influence over the left flank of the Democratic Party. The results were widely seen as shifting New York's congressional delegation to the left, putting incumbents on notice that they are vulnerable if they are out of step with liberal voters who aren't happy with centrist politics on immigration, Israel and Donald Trump. The question now is how these incoming members will fit into the House Democratic Caucus with a potentially narrow majority. Republicans have struggled to govern with razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate. Mike Marinella, a spokesman for House Republicans' campaign arm, called Tuesday (June 23, 2026) "the night the Democrat establishment officially surrendered to Zohran Mamdani and the socialist wing of their party." New York Democrats elevated combat veteran and national security expert Cait Conley, a member of the “Hellcat” group of female veterans running for office, to run against Republican Representative Mike Lawler in New York's 17th, a swing district targeted by Democrats. Mr. Lawler is considered the most vulnerable Republican in Congress, representing a district Democratic nominee Kamala Harris won in the 2024 presidential election, though Mr. Lawler has consistently performed well, twice winning a district that leans Democratic. While the current political environment favours Democrats nationally, Mr. Lawler will begin the general election with a $3 million cash advantage over Ms. Conley. Assemblymember Micah Lasher beat Assemblymember Alex Bores in the crowded primary for the Democratic nomination to succeed retiring Representative Jerry Nadler in New York's 12th Congressional District. Kennedy scion Jack Schlossberg was a distant third, ahead of George Conway, a former Republican lawyer turned Trump critic whose ex-wife advised the President during his first term. This district was the most expensive congressional primary race in New York, with tens of millions of dollars spent on advertising. Stand for New York PAC, a super PAC funded by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, spent more than $10 million boosting Lasher. Think Big, a pro-AI super PAC, spent nearly $8 million a

Zohran Mamdani-backed candidates excel in congressional primaries

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Zohran Mamdani-backed candidates excel in congressional primaries

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