Three candidates backed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani — Claire Valdez (NY-7), Brad Lander (NY-10) and Darializa Avila Chevalier (NY-13) — won their congressional primaries tonight. In another New York City congressional race, the chaotic NY-12, won by Micah Lasher, Mamdani didn’t endorse.
Lander, a known figure in city politics, absolutely trounced Rep. Dan Goldman, the incumbent in NY-10. The race was called immediately upon polls closing. Valdez quickly won an open seat in NY-7, beating Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, who had been backed by retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez.
But perhaps the most surprising result is Chevalier, who knocked off incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat in Harlem and the Bronx. Mamdani endorsed her just weeks ago. A March poll conducted for Chevalier’s campaign showed Espaillat leading her 42% to 28%, suggesting both that the five-term incumbent didn’t have much support and that Chevalier didn’t have much name recognition. From that humble position, she looks to be headed to Congress.
Everyone is going to cast this as Mamdani flexing his strength, just like so many Republican primaries this year have turned into a binary around Trump: victories for or rebukes of the president. With the Trump-endorsed GOP candidates, I think it’s rarely so simple. But in these New York primaries, with results like NY-13, its hard to argue that Mamdani’s strength isn’t a key aspect of what’s going on — at least in New York City.
Kate will have more looking closely at the returns from these races tomorrow.
