A leftward lurch? What to know about the Democratic primaries in New York
Democratic socialist candidates push for an edge in races that hinge on issues like Israel, police reform and inequality. Just seven months ago, democratic socialist
Democratic socialist candidates push for an edge in races that hinge on issues like Israel, police reform and inequality. Just seven months ago, democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani swept to victory in the New York City mayor’s race, becoming the city’s first Muslim leader. Now, a new slate of candidates is testing the Democratic Party’s political direction in the most populous city in the United States. New York’s primary on Tuesday 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. But other districts, in places like Long Island and the Hudson Valley, are considered toss-ups. The outcome of those races is expected to play an outsized role in determining who gains a majority in the US House of Representatives. Here’s what to know What time do polls open and close? Early voting ran from June 13 to June 21. On Tuesday, polls open at 6am (10:00 GMT) and close at 9pm (01:00 GMT on Wednesday). Israel policy looms large in Lander versus Goldman Progressive Brad Lander, the former comptroller of New York City, made a pact with Mamdani before last year’s New York City mayoral primary. The two candidates endorsed each other, urging voters to list them as top picks in the ranked-choice voting system, in an effort to edge out a mutual opponent, former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo. The gambit paid off, with Mamdani winning a commanding primary victory over Cuomo. He later sailed to victory in the general election. Mamdani and Lander’s partnership was an alliance between an avowed anti-Zionist and a self-identified “liberal Zionist”, respectively. But both politicians have advocated for Palestinian human rights in the face of Israeli abuses. Lander is currently challenging incumbent Congressman Dan Goldman to represent New York’s 10th District, an area spanning lower Manhattan and northern Brooklyn. But their opposing views on Israeli policy have dominated the Democratic primary. Lander has decried Israeli military action in Gaza, calling it a genocide.
He has called Israel’s system of control over the occupied Palestinian territory “apartheid”. To address the abuses, Lander has called for a ban on US weapons to Israel. Still, he has argued that Israel has the “right to exist” as a Jewish state and has opposed the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. His track record as comptroller has also come under scrutiny, with pro-Palestine advocates criticising him for investing city pension funds in Israel’s largest defence contractor, Elbit Systems. Goldman, meanwhile, has emphasised his support for Israel, while heavily criticising the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has maintained that Israel’s war in Gaza does not constitute a genocide and has rejected claims that Israel oversees an apartheid system. An heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, Goldman has been endorsed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), but he has sought to distance himself from the lobbying group, including by returning direct donations. He has gotten a bump from New York Governor Kathy Hochul and former US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Lander, meanwhile, is backed by progressive stalwarts, including Mamdani and US Senator Bernie Sanders. The most recent polls have shown Lander leading Goldman, but margins are expected to be tight in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. Mamdani-endorsed Democratic socialists Two primaries will test the electoral power of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a group that leveraged grassroots support to help carry Mamdani to victory last year. One concerns the race to represent New York’s 13th District, which covers upper Manhattan and the Bronx. There, a surge in support for DSA-endorsed candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier has threatened to upset longtime incumbent Adriano Espaillat, who has held his office since 2017. The district is diverse, with large Hispanic and Afro-Caribbean populations. It also abuts the district currently represented by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a fellow Democratic Socialist of America member who upset incumbent Joe Crowley in 2018. But the 71-year-old Espaillat has pushed back against Avila Chevalier’s rise, framing the 32-year-old community organiser as inexperienced and out of step with the Democratic Party. He has also seized on her past tweets, which include inflammatory statements criticising former US President Joe Biden and 2024 presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Avila Chevalier has issued a handful of apologies for her online statements, while doubling down on a platform that calls for reform among police, prisons and federal immigration enforcement.
The BriefWire