Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City demonstrated considerable political influence following Tuesday’s primary elections, as all three congressional candidates he backed won their Democratic contests. Two of the victors—Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez—identify as democratic socialists, and both are expected to win their general election contests in solidly Democratic districts. A third Mamdani-backed candidate, former city comptroller Brad Lander, also prevailed. Mamdani framed his involvement as supporting “better Democrats” who would “put working people back at the heart of politics,” though his approach generated concern among some Democratic Party leadership.
In a Manhattan congressional primary for the seat of retiring Democratic Representative Jerry Nadler, competing factions within the artificial intelligence industry invested heavily in opposing candidates. New York Assemblyman Alex Bores, a former Palantir employee who had championed sweeping state-level AI regulation, attracted more than $7 million in advertisements from a group financed by OpenAI investors and over $10 million in supporting ads from a faction connected to Anthropic. Bores ultimately lost the primary to Assemblymember Micah Lasher, a longtime government official backed by Democratic leadership, who criticized his opponents’ ties to major technology companies.
President Donald Trump adjusted his strategy in South Carolina’s gubernatorial runoff after two of his endorsed candidates lost Republican primary races earlier in the month. Trump endorsed both remaining candidates in the runoff—Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson—to protect his endorsement record, with Wilson prevailing. The president subsequently announced the victory on social media as validation of his political backing.
In Utah, a newly redrawn congressional district created a Democratic opportunity in the typically Republican state. Former U.S. Representative Ben McAdams won the Democratic primary after shifting positions on social issues; he previously identified as pro-life when representing a competitive district in 2018 but pledged support for abortion rights in the left-leaning new district.
In Maryland, Democratic Governor Wes Moore won his party’s primary in his reelection bid, a victory that political observers view as potentially relevant to presidential considerations. On the Republican side, Dan Cox, characterized as the furthest-right candidate in the gubernatorial primary field, won his party’s nomination after pledging tax cuts and expanded housing affordability programs.
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