Lander’s victory comes as there has been a wave of Mamdani and Democrat Socialist of America-backed candidates challenging members of Congress.
Mamdani-backed candidate Brad Lander has won his congressional primary against Democrat incumbent Dan Goldman, who has voted to impeach President Donald Trump twice during his stint in Congress.
Lander’s victory comes as there has been a wave of Mamdani and Democrat Socialist of America-backed candidates challenging members of Congress.
Goldman has previously been viewed as a rising star in the Democrat party after he had the high-profile role as the lead counsel in the first impeachment trial of Trump. Ahead of the primary, he boasted endorsements from New York Governor Kathy Hochul, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and major labor unions.
One of the largest issues that worked against Goldman in his district was on Israel. Goldman is supported by American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and has been designated as an “approved” candidate by the group.
Lander, however, was far more critical of Israel during his campaign and claimed that the country was conducting a “genocide” against those in Gaza as Israel was fighting Hamas terrorists. He made promises during his campaign to back legislation that would strip military funding away from Israel and he used Goldman’s backing from AIPAC against the incumbent congressman.
Aside from Mamdani, Lander got endorsements from Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who have both been warm to Mamdani’s administration in the Big Apple.
