NEW YORK (Diya TV) — New York City’s June 23 Democratic primary delivered sweeping victories for candidates aligned with Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America, with all three of Mamdani’s endorsed congressional candidates winning their races and seven Democratic incumbents across the city falling on a single night.
In New York’s 10th Congressional District, former City Comptroller Brad Lander defeated two-term incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman with nearly 98 percent of scanners reporting, earning 65.8 percent of the vote to Goldman’s 34 percent. Gov. Kathy Hochul had endorsed Goldman while Mamdani backed Lander. The two candidates clashed over U.S. policy on the Israel-Gaza war, AIPAC fundraising, and immigration enforcement. Goldman was first elected in 2022 and had built a profile as the former lead counsel in the first impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Lander is a strong favorite to win the November general election in the heavily Democratic district.
In New York’s 7th Congressional District, State Assemblywoman Claire Valdez won the Democratic nomination to succeed retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez. With about 87 percent of precincts reporting, Valdez led with roughly 58 percent of the vote. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso followed with about 33 percent, Queens City Councilmember Julie Won received nearly 7 percent, and political newcomer Vichal Kumar trailed with less than 2 percent. Velázquez backed Reynoso after Mamdani endorsed Valdez, and the Working Families Party, most major unions, and Attorney General Letitia James also lined up behind Reynoso. Valdez’s coalition included the United Auto Workers and the full support of Mamdani and NYC-DSA.
The night’s tightest congressional result came in New York’s 13th District, where community organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated five-term incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat. With more than 86 percent of the expected vote in, Avila Chevalier received 49.4 percent to Espaillat’s 45.9 percent. Avila Chevalier, a 32-year-old DSA member, ran despite a significant fundraising disadvantage. Espaillat raised more than $2 million this cycle and held endorsements from Gov. Hochul, Attorney General James, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the state AFL-CIO. Espaillat was the first Dominican American and first formerly undocumented immigrant elected to the House and has held the seat since 2017. The race turned negative in its final days over Gaza policy and Avila Chevalier’s attendance at a pro-Palestinian rally on October 8, 2023.
In New York’s 12th Congressional District, State Assemblymember Micah Lasher won a crowded Democratic primary to succeed retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler. With 94 percent of scanners reporting, Lasher secured roughly 4,000 more votes than fellow Assemblymember Alex Bores. The race also featured Jack Schlossberg, grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, and attorney George Conway. Mamdani did not endorse in the 12th District.
At the state legislative level, in the 13th State Senate District, Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas defeated incumbent State Sen. Jessica Ramos and perennial candidate Hiram Monserrate. With 98.4 percent of ballots reported, González-Rojas received 47.88 percent, Ramos received 37.15 percent, and Monserrate received 14.54 percent. Ramos had backed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in last year’s mayoral primary and drew further opposition after refusing to support Mets owner Steve Cohen’s proposed casino at Citi Field’s parking lot. In the campaign’s final stretch, a super PAC called Progress for New York, which Ramos alleged was funded by Cohen, reported spending $781,000 solely targeting her race. Cohen’s casino spokesperson did not answer questions about the donation.
In the 12th State Senate District, DSA member Aber Kawas defeated Assemblymember Steven Raga 60 to 39 percent to succeed retiring Senator Michael Gianaris. In the 38th Assembly District, DSA-backed attorney David Orkin defeated incumbent Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, with more than 94 percent counted showing Orkin at 58.8 percent to Rajkumar’s 40.9 percent.
Super PACs spent $9.6 million on Democratic primaries across state Assembly and Senate contests through Monday — nearly five times the amount spent through the same period in 2024. The anti-DSA spending largely failed to produce results.
In the State Comptroller race, incumbent Thomas DiNapoli defeated progressive challengers Raj Goyle and Drew Warshaw. DiNapoli received 574,459 votes statewide, Warshaw received 175,791, and Goyle received 121,051. It was the first primary DiNapoli had faced since taking office in 2007. He will face Republican nominee Joseph Hernandez in November.
Voter turnout fell well short of recent cycles. The Board of Elections reported 420,527 total voter check-ins through 6 p.m. on Primary Day, including 172,743 from the nine-day early voting period — meaning fewer than 250,000 cast ballots on Election Day itself. More than 1 million votes were cast in the 2025 mayoral primary.
