Mamdani-backed Israel critics swept the primaries, marking a seismic backlash against pro-Israel incumbent Democrats and solidifying the left-wing mayor’s status as a power broker in New York. Tuesday night ended with victories for three congressional candidates, Brad Lander, Claire Valdez, and Darializa Avila Chevalier. Eli Northrup, who was endorsed by Mamdani for the State Assembly’s District 69, also trounced Stephanie Ruskay.
President Donald Trump called Mamdani’s winning candidates “communists.” In one of several social media posts following the elections on Tuesday night, the former New York voter said, “America the Beautiful will NEVER be a Communist Country!!!” Trump painted Mamdani as an extremist during his mayoral race, but the two have since developed a rapport.
Some pro-Israel Democrats held on. Rep. Ritchie Torres handily defeated former Assembly member Michael Blake, who sharply criticized Israel and Torres’ support from AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby. Mamdani stayed out of that race.
Micah Lasher’s victory for retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler’s seat marked an enclave of continuity. Lasher, a onetime aide to Nadler who described himself as a “neurotic Jew” on election day, was Nadler’s preferred heir in the country’s most Jewish district. His race differed from others in New York, with none of the leading candidates accusing Israel of genocide or supporting blocking military aid to the country.
A looming showdown in the Hudson Valley could help flip the House. Cait Conley, a military veteran and pro-Israel Democrat, won her primary and will face off with Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in November. Lawler’s seat in a deep-purple district is considered to be one of the most vulnerable in the midterms, and Lawler sought to undermine Conley’s campaign, appearing to boost her opponent, Beth Davidson.
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The Al Jazeera journalist whose death was recently mourned by Mamdani also worked as a Hamas sniper and active combatant, according to the Washington Free Beacon. The conservative outlet cited the IDF and shared a video that allegedly showed Ahmed Washah firing a rifle. Mamdani referenced Washah’s death on Monday while defending his use of the word “monsters” to describe AIPAC.
The National Jewish Advocacy Center, a Jewish nonprofit, has urged the Trump administration to investigate Mamdani for alleged “discriminatory failure to protect Jewish residents from antisemitic hate,” reported The New York Post.