Mamdani-backed candidates sweep New York primaries, boosting his influence

Zohran Mamdani turned his mayoral momentum into a clean sweep in New York City’s June 23 congressional primaries, as all three of his endorsed candidates were projected to win. The results gave Mamdani an early proof point that his left-wing brand can still move votes beyond City Hall, and they delivered two incumbent defeats that reshaped the Democratic map in Manhattan and Queens.

The winners were Brad Lander, Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier. Lander and Valdez defeated sitting Democratic members in the 10th and 13th districts, where Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat were both pushed out of their primaries. Chevalier won the open-seat race in the 7th District. All three were expected to advance to the general election in districts that remain safely Democratic, making the primaries the decisive contest.

For Mamdani, the outcome was more than a set of friendly wins. It was the first major test of whether his upset rise to New York City mayor in 2025 could translate into durable influence over other races. The answer, at least on this night, was yes. His backing helped elevate a bloc of candidates aligned with the democratic socialist wing of the party, while establishment-backed Democrats absorbed a sharp setback in races that had been cast as a referendum on the party’s direction.

The contests also reflected the larger argument now running through House Democrats over how far left the party should move on affordability, Israel policy and economic messaging. Mamdani’s supporters framed the primaries as evidence that a more insurgent message can still beat better-known incumbents, even in heavily Democratic districts. Hakeem Jeffries had previously praised Mamdani’s focus on affordability, but the primary results underscored the strain between party leadership and the mayor’s left flank.

The sweep landed on a night when money was still dominating parts of New York politics. In the 12th Congressional District, more than $12 million in ads flowed from super PACs tied to OpenAI and Anthropic, a reminder that the city’s primaries are now a battleground not just for ideology but for outside spending on a massive scale. Against that backdrop, Mamdani’s endorsements emerged as a clearer measure of political power than a celebrity endorsement exercise. His candidates did not just compete; they won.