New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani demonstrated significant political influence on Tuesday by successfully backing three progressive candidates in Democratic U.S. House primaries. All three endorsed candidates won their races, defeating two sitting representatives and one establishment-backed candidate. Mamdani described his approach as supporting “better Democrats” who would “put working people back at the heart of politics.” The outcome prompted concern among some Democratic leadership figures, though it showcased the mayor’s expanding power within the party.
The victories included state Assembly Member Claire Valdez defeating Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso for the seat held by retiring U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez. Democratic U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat lost his reelection bid to Darializa Avila Chevalier, a Mamdani-backed democratic socialist with no prior public office experience. Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander also won his primary over U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman. All three victors are considered likely winners in their heavily Democratic districts, meaning three Mamdani allies are expected to enter Congress. The races, particularly Lander’s contest, saw significant debate over foreign policy, with candidates engaging on the war in Gaza and Israeli policy.
Elsewhere in Manhattan, a crowded Democratic primary for the seat of retiring U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler became a proxy battle between competing factions in the artificial intelligence industry. New York Assemblyman Alex Bores, a former Palantir employee advocating for sweeping AI regulation, prompted an OpenAI-connected group to spend over $7 million attacking him, while an Anthropic-linked group countered with more than $10 million in support. Bores ultimately lost to Assemblymember Micah Lasher, a Democratic establishment candidate who warned voters against being influenced by competing tech interests.
President Donald Trump worked to secure his endorsement record after two recent gubernatorial primary losses. Following defeats in Iowa and Georgia, Trump endorsed both candidates remaining in a South Carolina gubernatorial runoff—Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and state Attorney General Alan Wilson—stating he could not “hurt one of them by only endorsing the other.” Wilson won the runoff, and Trump subsequently highlighted the victory on social media.
In Utah, former U.S. Rep. Ben McAdams won a Democratic primary in a newly redrawn Salt Lake City district. McAdams shifted his political positioning for the primary, emphasizing support for abortion rights and describing himself as “moderate in tone” rather than adopting the moderate-centrist label he had used in previous campaigns.
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