In New York's primaries, progressives face the establishment, and a Kennedy scion seeks office
NEW YORK (AP) — Democratic incumbents are facing spirited challenges Tuesday in at least two of New York's congressional primaries, the latest proving ground in the fight by the progressive left against the party establishment.
U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman and U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat are both seeking to stave off candidates backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the young democratic socialist who hopes excitement over his election last year will help reshape the city's congressional delegation.
Goldman faces former city Comptroller Brad Lander while Espaillat faces another Mamdani pick, Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist who once helped organize pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University.
Meanwhile, Democrat Jack Schlossberg, the 33-year-old grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, is hoping to write his own chapter in Camelot lore as he competes in a crowded field for a seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler. Mamdani has made no endorsement in that race.
The Kennedy scion is running in one of the country's wealthiest congressional districts — covering much of the center of Manhattan — but faces questions about his lack of work experience against more seasoned opponents.
The field includes state Assembly members Micah Lasher, a longtime government hand backed by Democratic leaders, and Alex Bores, whose proposals to regulate artificial intelligence have triggered tech industry blowback. Also in the running is George Conway, a former attorney who helped start the anti-Trump group, The Lincoln Project, and has centered his candidacy on impeaching the president.
Mamdani has made a big push to promote three congressional candidates who are challenging Democrats supported by the party's leadership. He joined Lander outside a polling place Tuesday, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the faces of his three picks.
“It's not just a question of electing more Democrats. It's a question of electing better Democrats, ” Mamdani 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.”
Last month he endorsed Avila Chevalier, 32, in her race against Espaillat, 71, who was the first Dominican American elected to Congress and represents a district in upper Manhattan and the Bronx. Espaillat backed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in last year's mayoral election but then backed Mamdani after he won the Democratic primary.
Avila Chevalier has not held political office and casts herself as an outsider, unbeholden to corporate or real estate interests.
She also has blasted the incumbent for her previous backing from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Espaillat's allies have called Avila Chevalier unfit for office, pointing out a history of inflammatory and profane social media posts when she was in her 20s.
Lander, a fixture of the city's progressive Democrats, got the mayor's endorsement in a race against Goldman, a progressive former federal prosecutor who served as lead counsel for Trump’s first impeachment.
The war in Gaza has become a dividing line between the two candidates, both of whom are Jewish, as Lander assails Goldman for not being tough enough on Israel over its military action against Palestinians. Goldman has consistently criticized Israel's government and condemned settler violence but has stopped short of describing the conflict as a genocide, which Lander has done.
Still, Goldman has been forced to amp up his criticism of Israel's war posture in response to Landers' barbs and shifting voter sentiments, all while seeking to keep his campaign focused on the high cost of living and such issues as opposing Trump's agenda.
Mamdani and Lander were opponents during last year's mayoral primary, but formed an alliance intended to thwart an attempted political comeback by Cuomo. At the same time, Lander's endorsement of Mamdani helped ease concerns among some Jewish voters about Mamdani's criticism of Israel.
Mamdani has also backed a democratic socialist ally, state Assembly Member Claire Valdez, over Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez in a district covering parts of Brooklyn and Queens.
Velazquez backed Reynoso. So did New York Attorney General Letitia James, who campaigned with Reynoso on Tuesday outside a polling place in Brooklyn.
They were joined by Rob Solano, who considers himself a friend of the democratic socialists, but said he was supporting Reynoso over Valdez, who has the backing of the Democratic Socialists of America.
“We’re friends, and we’ll still be friends after this,” added Solano, who is the executive director of Churches United for Fair Housing Action. “But it’s like when one of your friends is hooking up with someone you don’t like. What can you do?”
In northern New York state, a Trump acolyte with no previous political experience is facing a conservative state lawmaker in the Republican primary for a seat soon to be vacated by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Anthony Constantino, head of the custom sticker company Sticker Mule, showcased his enthusiasm for the president by putting a massive “Vote For Trump” sign atop one of his company buildings. He also released a hip-hop album titled “Thank You President Trump," and commissioned a statue of Trump and gave it to the president in Florida. Trump has endorsed him.
Constantino's opponent, conservative state Assembly Member Robert Smullen, has strong support from local Republicans and has argued that Constantino's antics, which include regular bashing of the state GOP, make him unfit to serve in the House.
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Associated Press writers Jake Offenhartz and Larry Neumeister in New York contributed.
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