Mamdani-backed candidates win New York congressional primaries, boosting his influence

Zohran Mamdani’s three backed candidates were projected to win their Democratic primaries Tuesday night, giving New York City’s mayor an early measure of political reach far beyond City Hall. Brad Lander was projected to defeat Rep. Dan Goldman in New York’s 10th Congressional District, Claire Valdez was projected to defeat Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in the open 7th District, and Darializa Avila Chevalier was projected to defeat Rep. Adriano Espaillat in the 13th District.

The results put Mamdani at the center of three closely watched House races that doubled as an early test of his governing capital just months into his mayoralty. The 10th District covers Lower Manhattan and western Brooklyn, while the 13th spans parts of Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. The 7th District was open because Rep. Nydia Velázquez is retiring. NBC News said Lander captured about two-thirds of the vote, and Roll Call put him ahead of Goldman 62 percent to 38 percent. Roll Call also showed Valdez leading Reynoso 57 percent to 34 percent, and Avila Chevalier ahead of Espaillat 49 percent to 46 percent.

The Associated Press called the Lander race minutes after polls closed at 9 p.m. Eastern time, then called the Valdez race at 9:23 p.m. Eastern time and the Avila Chevalier race at 10:38 p.m. Eastern time. The speed of those calls underscored how decisive the margins were in contests that had drawn national attention as a reading on whether Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral upset had helped lift the city’s left flank into a more durable force.

The races also exposed the fault lines inside New York Democrats. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries backed Goldman and Espaillat, while Nydia Velázquez endorsed Reynoso. The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America backed Avila Chevalier and Valdez, reinforcing the left-wing alignment around Mamdani’s political project. Lander, Valdez and Avila Chevalier were all seen as heavily favored for November in districts that lean overwhelmingly Democratic, but the primaries showed that Mamdani’s endorsement now carries real weight in citywide contests that shape New York’s policy agenda and the balance of power inside the party.