New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's slate of progressive candidates swept aside establishment-backed Democrats in New York's congressional primaries on Tuesday, unseating two sitting members of Congress in a resounding display of strength by the democratic socialist leader of America's largest city.
The victories mark a significant boost for Mamdani, who is seeking to reshape the Democratic Party in New York and beyond.
US Representative Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and serving his fifth term in Congress, was defeated by Darializa Avila Chevalier, Mamdani's most controversial pick. A democratic socialist, Avila Chevalier previously helped organise pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University.
US Representative Dan Goldman, a two-term incumbent, was defeated by former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, another Mamdani-backed candidate and a long-time figure in the city's progressive movement. Meanwhile, state Assembly Member Claire Valdez, also backed by Mamdani, defeated the preferred successor of retiring Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez.
Tuesday's primaries represented a major political gamble for the 34-year-old mayor, whose influence continues to grow, and could create headaches for Democratic leaders concerned that Mamdani and his allies may steer the party too far to the left ahead of November's midterm elections, when control of Congress will be at stake during the final two years of President Donald Trump's term.
The results also delivered a clear rebuke to establishment Democrats in Washington, including House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who campaigned against Mamdani's candidates and lost. Mamdani and his allies openly campaigned for sweeping changes on issues ranging from affordability to Israel's war in Gaza.
The mayor travelled across the city celebrating the victories, declaring that his own election had helped usher in a new political era.
"A year ago, it was not the end of a political movement. It was the beginning," Mamdani told supporters at Valdez's victory celebration in Brooklyn as crowds chanted, "DSA! DSA!"
Later, speaking at Avila Chevalier's victory gathering in Manhattan, he added: "We are showing there is a new path for politics in our city and in our country."
In Washington, Jeffries sought to downplay the significance of the results before polls closed.
"We have agreed to strongly disagree," Jeffries said of Mamdani. "There are 215 members of the House Democratic caucus. A handful of primaries that go in one direction or the other, in a given state or two, aren't going to reshape who we are as House Democrats."
Meanwhile, Jack Schlossberg, the 33-year-old grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, failed in his attempt to secure the seat being vacated by retiring Congressman Jerry Nadler. Mamdani did not endorse any candidate in that closely watched contest.
Instead, establishment Democrats celebrated the victory of state Assembly Member Micah Lasher, a veteran government official backed by party leaders. Lasher prevailed in a crowded field that included anti-Trump activist George Conway and Assembly Member Alex Bores, whose proposals for regulating artificial intelligence attracted opposition from parts of the technology industry.
Mamdani, whose first six months in office have drawn praise from establishment Democrats and even President Trump, invested heavily in promoting three congressional challengers running against candidates backed by the Democratic leadership.
Two members of Mamdani's congressional slate identify as democratic socialists, while Lander has long aligned himself with many of the movement's priorities.
In his victory speech, Lander pledged to abolish the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), described Israel's war in Gaza as "genocide" and condemned what he called "Trump's fascism".
Lander has been one of the city's most outspoken critics of Trump's immigration crackdown and was acquitted earlier this month on charges stemming from a protest inside a building housing an immigration court.
All three Mamdani-backed candidates campaigned on promises to abolish ICE, tax the wealthy and condemn what they describe as genocide in Gaza.
Avila Chevalier, 32, was running for elected office for the first time against a long-serving member of Congress. Espaillat, 71, became the first Dominican American elected to Congress and has represented his district in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx for nearly a decade.
Presenting herself as a political outsider, Avila Chevalier faced criticism from Espaillat's allies, who highlighted a history of inflammatory and profane social media posts from her younger years.
About an hour before polls closed, she was campaigning on a Harlem street corner alongside controversial online streamer Hasan Piker.
Later, speaking with Mamdani beside her at her victory celebration, she criticised what she called the Democratic establishment.
"Today we make it clear — the politics of the past ends today," she said. "No longer will we accept a politics that throws scraps at us and acts as if we should be grateful for them."
In East Harlem, voter Sara Hyler, 47, said she had switched several times between supporting Avila Chevalier and Espaillat before ultimately backing the challenger after learning of financial support received by Espaillat from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
"It was the breaking point, my last straw," she said.
Hyler argued that a new generation of progressive Democrats was needed, one less influenced by pro-Israel lobbying groups.
"As much as I support Israel, I don't think we should be paying for them," she said.
The war in Gaza also emerged as a defining issue in the Goldman-Lander contest. Both candidates are Jewish, but Lander repeatedly criticised Goldman for not being sufficiently critical of Israel's military campaign against Palestinians.
Goldman has criticised the Israeli government and condemned settler violence but has stopped short of describing the conflict as genocide, a term Lander has used.
Mamdani also backed Valdez over Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in the race to succeed Velázquez in a district spanning parts of Brooklyn and Queens. Although Reynoso secured Velázquez's endorsement, he failed to win the mayor's support.
In northern New York State, a staunch Trump supporter with no prior political experience secured the Republican nomination for the congressional seat soon to be vacated by Representative Elise Stefanik.
Anthony Constantino, chief executive of custom sticker company Sticker Mule, defeated state Assembly Member Robert Smullen in the Republican primary for New York's 21st Congressional District.
Constantino has frequently demonstrated his loyalty to Trump, including by erecting a giant "Vote for Trump" sign on one of his company buildings. He also released a hip-hop album entitled Thank You President Trump and commissioned a statue of the president, which he later presented to Trump in Florida.
Trump endorsed Constantino's campaign.
Smullen, who enjoyed strong backing from local Republican leaders, argued that Constantino's public antics — including his repeated criticism of the state Republican Party — made him unsuitable for Congress.
Nevertheless, Republican voters opted for the political newcomer, setting up the next stage in the race to succeed Stefanik.