Zohran Mamdani tries to remake the Big Apple’s congressional delegation

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is putting his political capital on the line in a trio of closely watched House primaries, backing a slate of progressive challengers that could reshape the city’s congressional delegation. Mamdani has endorsed three progressive Democratic candidates: Claire Valdez, Darializa Avila Chevalier, and Brad Lander. The New York City mayor […]

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is putting his political capital on the line in a trio of closely watched House primaries, backing a slate of progressive challengers that could reshape the city’s congressional delegation.

Mamdani has endorsed three progressive Democratic candidates: Claire Valdez, Darializa Avila Chevalier, and Brad Lander. The New York City mayor wading into the races has set up a broader ideological clash within the party, with two of the candidates being current members of the Democratic Socialists of America and the third being a former DSA member. Mamdani’s backing of challengers to incumbents and allied figures has strained relationships with key Democratic leaders and could test the durability of his coalition.

With primary voters heading to the polls Tuesday, the results of these races will offer an early measure of Mamdani’s clout — and whether his brand of politics can translate into wins beyond New York City’s mayoral office.

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Basil Smikle Jr., a New York Democratic strategist, told the Washington Examiner he was not surprised the movement that got Mamdani elected “would want to grow and expand,” saying that if one has been following New York politics, “you realize that there have been DSA members that have been elected to the City Council and to the state legislature, so it’s not inconceivable that they would want to, you know, find ways to elect members to Congress.”

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In New York’s 7th Congressional District, Valdez, a democratic socialist, is competing in an open-seat race against retiring Rep. Nydia Velazquez’s (D-NY) chosen candidate, Antonio Reynoso. Mamdani’s endorsement of Valdez has put him at odds with parts of the city’s progressive establishment, including Velazquez.

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani listens as President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

“I’m not going to allow DSA to define who is progressive and who is not,” Velazquez said to the New York Times. “Because the fact that they are here, I paved the way for that.”

Further uptown, Avila Chevalier, another democratic socialist, is challenging five-term Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) in the 13th District. 

“I’m incredibly excited at supporting two Latina candidates in Darializa Avila Chevalier, who would be the first Afro Latina to represent that district in Congress,” Mamdani said Monday during a press conference. “I’m also excited to be supporting Claire Valdez, who’s running in New York 7. And I think in both of these candidacies, you actually also see a commitment to working people that will uplift them in a city that is the most expensive in the United States of America.”

Avila Chevalier, a political activist who touts her involvement in Columbia University’s pro-Palestinian encampment, is hoping to ride the progressive wave that installed Mamdani as New York City’s mayor. Given her involvement in the anti-Israel movement, Avila Chevalier has highlighted that Espaillat is backed by AIPAC.

Espaillat, a close ally of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), endorsed Mamdani after he won the mayoral primary. The incumbent has significant backing from Democratic groups, including the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Both the Latino Victory Fund and BOLD America political organizations have pledged to boost Espaillat’s bid as well.

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The race has become a bitter intraparty fight and is viewed as one of the most competitive primaries in the city. Avila Chevalier accused surrogates for Espaillat’s campaign of spreading accusations that she is not of Dominican descent and is instead Haitian.

“In the final days of this campaign, I have been hit with attacks that use Haitian as a slur, a coordinated wave of Islamophobia, lies about my identity, my faith, and my family. Espaillat supporters are standing at poll sites in our district, shouting lies and slinging racial slurs,” Avila Chevalier claimed in a video posted to Instagram.

Mamdani condemned the rhetoric as well, saying, “I understand that in our city there will be a variety of opinions when it comes to which candidate to support and which district to be involved in. One thing I do want to make clear, that I find unacceptable in our city, is the attempt to use the term Haitian as a slur. The trafficking and anti-black sentiment and narratives that we have seen specifically in New York 13 when it comes to Darializa Avila Chevalier is something that I cannot stand here and say is in line with the values of this city.”

The Washington Examiner reached out to Espaillat’s campaign for comment.

Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, left, speaks on stage with fellow candidate, Comptroller Brad Lander, at his primary election party, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Meanwhile, Lander, a former DSA member, is mounting a left-wing challenge to Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) in the 10th District. Mamdani’s partnership with Lander started during last year’s mayoral campaign, where the two men cross-endorsed each other in hopes of boosting their campaigns. Their political partnership included talks of working together at City Hall, but Mamdani reportedly instead pushed Lander to launch a congressional bid against Goldman.

Taken together, the endorsements represent a coordinated push by Mamdani to expand the influence of democratic socialist-aligned lawmakers beyond City Hall and into Congress. The strategy carries political risk, as eyes will be watching to see if Mamdani’s endorsement can carry his chosen candidates across the finish line.

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Smikle Jr. said even if Mamdani’s chosen candidates lose, it’ll only be a “temporary setback.”

“The DSA will still be there, and they’ll still run races, but maybe focus more locally on the council and state [legislature],” he said. “But I would also make the point, he’ll still be mayor, and he’ll still wield a lot of powers.”

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