All three socialist candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani won their Democratic primaries for U.S. House in New York on Tuesday night, including two far-Left candidates who knocked out incumbent Democrats.
In New York’s 10th congressional district, former New York City comptroller Brad Lander handily defeated his opponent, incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman, receiving approximately 66% of the vote. In New York’s 7th district, New York State Assemblymember Claire Valdez won her race with about 56% of the vote, and in the 13th district, leftist community organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat by less than four percentage points, according to the results as of Wednesday morning.
The results highlight the growing popularity of democratic socialist candidates in New York, sparked by Mamdani’s victory last November.
“When Zohran won, it was a sign of what could happen and what was possible,” the Sunrise Movement, a Left-wing activist group, said in response to Tuesday night’s results. “Young people have taken over New York City and we are going to Congress. Young people, who are unapologetically Democratic-Socialist. Tonight marks the end of the bought out, boomer establishment Democrats.”
In a social media post, the group added, “WATCH OUT CHUCK SCHUMER!! YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN OVER THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY!!!”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) did not endorse Mamdani for mayor.
Valdez and Chevalier are members of the Democratic Socialists of America, while Lander previously belonged to the organization before leaving following disagreements over its response to the October 7 Hamas attacks.
Valdez has called for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, expanding universal healthcare, increasing taxes on higher earners, and strengthening labor unions. Chevalier has advocated abolishing police, prisons, and national borders.
Mamdani’s endorsement of Chevalier drew scrutiny after several of Chevalier’s past social media posts resurfaced. In one post, she wrote, “I forgot to get napkins so I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me.” Her former X biography also listed her location as “Lenapehoking (NYC),” a reference to the ancestral homeland of the Lenape people.
Mamdani said he had not seen the controversial posts before endorsing Chevalier but stood by his decision after they became public. Defending his endorsement, he told CNN, “In Congress, she’ll take on corporate greed, bad landlords, and D.C.’s broken political system. At a time when power is concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, Darializa will fight in Congress for New York City’s working families. She’s the champion we need for a city New Yorkers can actually afford.”
Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, also publicly encouraged her Instagram followers to support Valdez and Chevalier, but she did not post an endorsement of Lander. Resurfaced social media activity from Duwaji has drawn criticism, including posts in which she questioned Israel’s legitimacy and liked an Instagram post that described allegations of sexual violence on October 7 as a “mass rape hoax.”