NEW YORK, United States — Three candidates endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani won congressional contests across New York City on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, strengthening the left wing of the Democratic Party in its largest urban stronghold.
Representative Dan Goldman of New York was also defeated in a Democratic primary.
Goldman, a two-term congressman representing New York’s 10th Congressional District, lost to Brad Lander, a progressive challenger and former New York City comptroller. With most votes counted, Lander led Goldman by 65.7 percent to 34.1 percent.
The result was widely viewed as a test of Mamdani’s political influence after his election as mayor. Lander was also endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a democratic socialist.
In a post on X after the result, Lander said voters in the district, which covers Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, “want leadership ready to fight, not fold, against authoritarianism”.
Goldman said he had called Lander to congratulate him, according to CBS.
“Tonight, the voters of 10th District have spoken. While this is not the outcome I worked so hard for, I respect their decision,” Goldman said.
Israel-Gaza War Divides the Race
The contest exposed Democratic divisions over the Israel-Gaza war. Lander has accused Israel of genocide in Gaza.
Goldman, who is Jewish, was backed by pro-Israel groups and faced criticism from some voters over his defence of Israel.
Israel denies accusations of genocide.
Over the weekend, Goldman visited Poetica Coffee in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with his 7-year-old daughter.
The coffee shop later posted on social media that it does not “serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers or anyone in between”. The post was later deleted.
President Donald Trump criticised Goldman after the result, calling him “weak and pathetic” and saying the congressman “just lost, BIG!”
Goldman, an heir to the Levi Strauss denim fortune, had won national attention among Democrats for helping lead the first impeachment inquiry into Trump in 2019.
Other Mamdani-Backed Candidates Win
Two other candidates endorsed by Mamdani also won Democratic primaries on Tuesday.
Claire Valdez, a state assemblywoman, defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in New York’s 7th Congressional District.
Darializa Avila Chevalier, a doctoral student who has taken part in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, defeated Representative Adriano Espaillat in the 13th District.
Espaillat had represented the district for five terms and chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Mamdani praised Chevalier after her victory, describing her as a person “of clarity, of conscience and of conviction”.
He also praised Lander, saying he represented a “vision of politics that is more than what we’ve seen for so long”.
All three Mamdani-backed candidates have called for abolishing ICE and taxing the rich. They have also accused Israel of genocide, which Israel denies.
Mamdani said earlier Tuesday that the races were about more than party labels.
“It’s not just a question of electing more Democrats. It’s a question of electing better Democrats,” he said.
“When I look at these candidacies, I see in them a willingness to also put working people back at the heart of our politics.”
Kennedy Grandson Loses in 12th District
In New York’s 12th Congressional District, Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, lost in a crowded Democratic primary to Micah Lasher, a state assemblymember and former aide to Representative Jerry Nadler.
Schlossberg, 33, is the son of Caroline Kennedy.
He is a Vogue correspondent, a Harvard Law School graduate and a political newcomer known for his unusual social media posts.
George Conway, a conservative lawyer who helped found the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, also ran in the 12th District and received about 6 percent of the vote.
Mamdani did not endorse a candidate in that race.
Party Leaders Signal Concern
The victories by candidates aligned with Mamdani drew attention from Democratic leaders in Washington, where some party officials have raised concerns about whether left-wing candidates can appeal to swing voters in November’s midterm elections.
Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic leader in the House, said he and Mamdani remained divided.
“We have agreed to strongly disagree,” Jeffries said.
“A handful of primaries that go in one direction or the other, in a given state or two, aren’t going to reshape who we are as House Democrats.”
