Aipac rebuffed as Mamdani-backed candidates sweep NYC Democratic primaries

Aipac rebuffed as Mamdani-backed candidates sweep NYC Democratic primaries Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 06/24/2026 - 18:52 Victories by candidates aligned with the New York mayor have sparked celebration online Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander takes the stage with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after winning the 10th District Democratic primary in Brooklyn (Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP) Off New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s growing political machine passed its first major electoral test on Tuesday, as all three of his endorsed congressional candidates won closely watched Democratic primaries. Former city comptroller Brad Lander defeated incumbent Representative Dan Goldman, while state assembly member and former union organiser Claire Valdez defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in the race to replace retiring Representative Nydia Velazquez. In the night’s most dramatic upset, public defence investigator and first-time candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated five-term Representative Adriano Espaillat, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.