Mamdani-backed candidates sweep New York City Democratic primaries

Democratic socialist candidates backed by New York City mayor win key primaries, ousting two sitting congressmen.New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s slate of progressives has swept establishment-backed Democrats in New York’s closely watched congressional primaries, ousting two sitting congressmen in a show of force for the democratic socialist leader of the United States’s largest city.On Tuesday, Adriano Espaillat, who leads the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and is in his fifth term, was defeated by Mamdani’s most polarising pick, Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist who once helped organise pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3‘Not in my name’: The Jewish communities fighting the consensus on Israellist 2 of 3US progressive Lewis George on track to become DC mayor after Trump threatslist 3 of 3Mamdani gives New York Knicks keys to city after NBA titleend of listDan Goldman, a two-term incumbent, was beaten by the Mamdani-backed former city comptroller Brad Lander, a fixture among New York progressives who has often shown sympathy to the democratic socialist movement. And another Mamdani ally, democratic socialist state Assembly Member Claire Valdez, defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, the handpicked successor of retiring US Representative Nydia Velazquez.New York’s primary will determine which challengers the party nominates to run in the midterm elections in November. That vote will, in turn, decide which party controls Congress, giving its lawmakers the power to aid or impede US President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda for his final two years in office.Most congressional districts in New York City are solidly left-wing bastions, meaning the winners of those races are all but assured to skate to victory in November.Tuesday’s primaries represented a major political gamble for the 34-year-old mayor, whose strength is surging, and a potential headache for Democratic leaders, who fear that Mamdani and his loyalists may push the party too far left ahead of November’s midterm elections.The sweep also sends an undeniable message to establishment Democrats in Washington, including House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who campaigned against Mamdani’s candidates and lost. Mamdani and his slate were openly fighting for dramatic change on key issues, with Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza and affordability chief among them.