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By Andrew Stanton
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faces a key test for his political influence Tuesday as candidates he endorsed face off against more establishment-aligned Democrats in New York’s congressional primaries.
Mamdani’s victory in the 2025 mayoral race marked a watershed moment for the political left, as he is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
Now, he’s working to use his political capital to help propel progressives and socialists into congressional seats, a move that could turn him into a kingmaker and turn socialists into a stronger faction in New York politics.
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Who Is Mamdani Supporting in New York Primaries?
Mamdani endorsed against two incumbents in New York City-based congressional districts.
In New York’s 10th District, he endorsed former City Comptroller Brad Lander over Representative Dan Goldman. He is also supporting organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier over Representative Adriano Espaillat in New York’s 13th District.
In New York’s 7th District, an open race, he endorsed Assemblymember Claire Valdez over Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.
Avila Chevalier and Valdez are both DSA members, but Lander is not affiliated with the organization.
Mamdani-backed candidates winning each of these races would mark an expansion of the progressive movement in New York House seats, but these candidates’ losses could signal that many New Yorkers beyond Mamdani’s core base are not ready to completely embrace his progressive style of politics.
Mamdani’s Closing Message
Mamdani made a last-minute pitch for his candidates on X late Monday night.
“No matter how much the other side tries to divide and distract, the question New Yorkers face at the ballot box tomorrow is not ‘When did you arrive?’ It is ‘Can you afford to stay?’ For a city you can afford: Vote Darializa, Claire, and Brad,” he wrote.
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Valdez vs. Reynoso: New York’s 7th District
Representative Nydia Velázquez, who has served in Congress since 1993, is not seeking reelection, leaving an open race in one of the most left-wing districts in the country comprised of the city’s so-called “Commie Corridor,” which spans parts of Brooklyn and Queens.
Valdez is a relative newcomer to New York City politics, having been first elected to the State Assembly in 2024. Prior to serving as borough president, Reynoso served on the city council starting in 2014.
While Mamdani and other prominent progressives such as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders are backing Valdez, Reynoso has support from Velázquez and the Working Families Party.
An Emerson College poll showed Valdez with 23 percent support, compared to Reynoso’s 21 percent. City Councilmember Julie Won had 13 percent, while activist Vichal Kumar had 1 percent. Many voters—43 percent—were still undecided. The poll surveyed 350 likely voters from May 16-17.
An earlier Data for Progress survey showed Reynoso with a lead. He had support from 28 percent of respondents compared to Valdez’s 24 percent. Forty-six percent of respondents were undecided. It surveyed 366 likely voters from January 15-19.
Valdez was favored on prediction markets, holding a 79 percent chance on both Kalshi and a 77 percent chance on Polymarket of winning in the primary as of Monday morning.
Prediction markets allow traders to buy and sell contracts tied to political outcomes and current events, aggregating real‑money wagers into probability estimates. Prices fluctuate as traders react to polling, fundraising, candidate developments and broader political trends.
Meanwhile, the mayor's endorsement sparked criticism from Velázquez, who told the New York Times in January that it “opens up fights” among groups.
“Primaries sometimes can be a distraction from the work that you need to do,” she said.
Lander vs. Goldman: New York’s 10th District
Lander and Mamdani became allies after the mayoral election. Lander and Mamdani shared the progressive lane in the race, and Lander ultimately encouraged his supporters to rank Mamdani second in the primary election, as the city uses ranked choice voting in its mayoral elections.
Mamdani was an early supporter of Lander in his bid against Goldman, first elected to represent the district in 2022. The mayor told the Times that the former city comptroller is a “trusted ally and partner of mine.”
Many progressive Democrats view Goldman as a poor fit for the district because he is not viewed as particularly progressive, and the district backed Mamdani in last year’s mayoral race. He has also drawn scrutiny from some on the left over his support for Israel.
Polls suggest Lander may be in a strong position heading into Election Day.
An Emerson College poll found that 57 percent of respondents planned to vote for Lander, compared to Goldman’s 23 percent. It surveyed 450 likely voters from May 16-17 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.6 percentage points.
An earlier Schoen Cooperman Research Poll, which surveyed 465 likely voters from May 1-4, showed a tighter race but still gave Lander an advantage. In that poll, 47 percent of respondents said they would back Lander compared to 42 percent for Goldman. It was first reported by City & State.
The district contains parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Prediction markets heavily favor Lander, who had a 99 percent chance of victory on Kalshi and a 99 percent chance on Polymarket as of Monday morning.
Goldman and Lander took to X to share their final pitches to voters on Election Day.
"This is a five-alarm fire. A fascist is in the White House, rogue ICE agents are on the streets, and billionaires are trying to buy our elections. It’s time to elect better Democrats who will fight, not fold," Lander wrote.
Goldman, meanwhile, touted himself as the strongest candidate to take on President Donald Trump.
"I know how to take on Donald Trump because I did it when I was lead counsel during his first impeachment. I’m ready to lead that charge to hold him accountable while also passing a bold, progressive agenda that helps every New Yorker can thrive," he wrote.
Avila Chevalier vs. Espaillat: New York’s 13th District
Espaillat has represented the district, based in Upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx, since 2017.
Avila Chevalier has argued the incumbent is insufficiently progressive on certain issues including foreign policy, but some Democrats are uneasy about Avila Chevalier’s past social media posts ranging from “f*** Kamala Harris” and claims that Russia invaded Ukraine due to the United States “bullying” Russia, the Times reported*.*
She has distanced herself from those posts, telling the Times she was “very sad that much of the way I spoke in that time has really sowed some division here.”
A Data for Progress poll, reported by Semafor, gave Avila Chevalier a lead with 39 percent to Espaillat’s 35 percent. It surveyed 319 likely primary voters from June 3-9.
An earlier Upswing Research & Strategy poll, reported by The City Reporter, gave the incumbent a lead over Avila Chevalier. In that poll, 42 percent said they would vote for Espaillat, while 28 percent said they would cast a ballot for Avila Chevalier. It surveyed 598 likely voters from March 25-30.
Espaillat is favored in prediction markets, with Kalshi giving him a 67 percent chance and Polymarket giving him a 68 percent chance of winning on Tuesday.
Mamdani Clashes With Establishment
The New York City mayor has never been seen as particularly close to members of New York City’s political establishment such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who endorsed Goldman and Espaillat.
Many more moderate Democrats declined to endorse Mamdani, instead supporting former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s independent bid in the 2025 mayoral race.
Basil Smikle, a Democratic strategist and professor of public affairs at Columbia University, previously told Newsweek much of the tension between the party’s DSA and establishment wing comes down to “outsider-insider tension.”
“A lot of Mamdani supporters view Jeffries and other elected officials as part of the establishment that they've been running against for years,” he said.
Mamdani cast the primary as a “moment of more, of asking for more, of expecting more, of delivering more” during a campaign event supporting his slate last week.
“Now, people often ask me what I think of the state of the Democratic Party,” the mayor added. “This slate here today is our answer.”
DSA Could Expand Ranks in 2026 Midterms
Amid frustration with President Donald Trump’s administration, DSA could see its power grow in this year’s midterm elections. It has already seen a major victory in the Washington, D.C. mayoral primary for Democrats, with DSA member Janeese Lewis George winning and being heavily favored in the general election.
DSA also has an opportunity to take another seat in November if Nithya Raman overtakes incumbent Democratic Mayor Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral race.
On the federal level, their endorsed candidate Chris Rabb won the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania’s 3rd District and is heavily favored to win the safe district based out of Philadelphia. They have also endorsed Melat Kiros and Oliver Larkin in Colorado’s 1st District and Florida’s 23rd District.
What Happens Next
Regardless of the outcome of Tuesday's primary, whoever wins the Democratic nominations in these districts are likely to go onto win in November, as all are viewed as among the most solidly Democratic districts in the country.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon and Anthony Murray.
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