Zohran Mamdani’s political movement scored a major victory Tuesday night as all three congressional candidates he personally endorsed won their Democratic primaries.
The most controversial victory came from Darializa Avila Chevalier, who defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat, the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Chevalier attended an anti-Israel rally in Times Square on October 8, 2023, only one day after the Ham*s massacre, where Israeli flags were burned and swastikas were displayed. Ironically Mamdani and Brad Lander had both said that the flag burning and celebrating Ham*s at that protest was Innapropriate, but Darializa has refused to apologize or retract anything she has said.
She later posted, “Trick question — Israel doesn’t exist!” and has repeatedly accused Israel of genocide while reportedly refusing to directly condemn Ham*s when asked.
Critics have also highlighted her support for abolishing prisons, opposition to all deportations, attacks on police and the military, and social media posts calling America a “f—king disgrace.”
Chevalier has additionally faced scrutiny over her role as a protest organizer connected to the Columbia University encampment movement alongside pro-Ham*s activist Mahmoud Khalil.
She was one of three candidates endorsed by Mamdani. The other two, Brad Lander and Claire Valdez, also won their primaries.
The sweep is already fueling concerns among pro-Israel Democrats and moderates who fear the party’s center of gravity in New York is moving further to the left, with candidates once considered fringe now winning major elections and reshaping the future of the city and potentially the nation.
Progressive New York City Comptroller Brad Lander has defeated Rep. Dan Goldman in the Democratic primary for New York’s 10th Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ.
The race was one of the most closely watched contests of the night, pitting Goldman, one of the Democratic Party’s most outspoken supporters of Israel, against Lander, a progressive candidate who was backed by Zohran Mamdani and has frequently criticized Israeli government policies.
Lander’s victory marks another significant win for the progressive wing of New York politics. The district includes parts of Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, including portions of Borough Park, home to a large Orthodox Jewish community.
The result comes just hours after Goldman found himself at the center of a viral controversy involving a Brooklyn coffee shop. According to Goldman, he stopped at the store while his daughter needed to use the restroom and purchased coffee from the business.
The shop later posted a photo of the congressman online and claimed that had staff recognized him at the time, they would not have served him because of his pro-Israel views. The post quickly sparked outrage online, with critics accusing the business of openly discriminating against a customer based on his political beliefs and support for Israel.
Many observers noted that refusing service on such grounds could expose a business to legal scrutiny under New York anti-discrimination laws.
Goldman, who has consistently defended Israel in Congress and has been a vocal supporter of the U.S.-Israel alliance, has frequently found himself at odds with the party’s progressive faction over issues related to Israel and the war against Ham*s..
With Goldman’s defeat, many political observers are now asking whether the balance of power within New York’s Democratic Party is continuing to shift toward candidates aligned with Mamdani and the progressive movement.
