New York Democratic Primaries Expose Establishment Resistance to Progressive Change and Israel Policy Reckoning
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Tuesday’s Democratic primaries in New York spotlight the struggle of grassroots progressive candidates against entrenched incumbents, with debates over Israel-Palestine, immigration justice, and economic inequality at the forefront.
On Tuesday, New York voters will participate in pivotal Democratic primaries that could finally challenge the party’s corporate establishment and set a new course before the 2024 midterms. Early voting, which ran from June 13 to June 21, has already shown strong engagement from communities demanding real change. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time.
In the 10th District, former city comptroller Brad Lander is mounting a bold challenge to incumbent Dan Goldman. Lander, who previously worked alongside progressive champion Zohran Mamdani, has courageously condemned Israel’s military aggression in Gaza and called for a ban on U.S. weapons sales to Israel, while upholding the principle of Israel’s right to exist. Goldman, meanwhile, is propped up by establishment figures like Nancy Pelosi and Governor Kathy Hochul, and has shamefully defended Israel’s actions, dismissing credible allegations of genocide and apartheid. The race is drawing national attention as Lander’s people-powered campaign narrows the gap in the polls.
In the 13th District, Democratic Socialist Party-backed community organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier is taking on long-entrenched incumbent Adriano Espaillat. Avila Chevalier, with the support of Senator Bernie Sanders, is fighting for transformative police and prison reform and unapologetically stands for Palestinian rights. Espaillat, who has accepted backing from pro-Israel groups, clings to incremental immigration reform, refusing to address the root causes of injustice.
In Brooklyn and Queens, state assemblywoman Claire Valdez, endorsed by Mamdani, is challenging borough president Antonio Reynoso for the 7th District seat. Both candidates advocate progressive policies like abolishing ICE and ending U.S. military aid to Israel, but Valdez’s grassroots activism stands in contrast to Reynoso’s establishment ties and union alliances.
The 12th District, a wealthy enclave in Manhattan, features a crowded contest to replace retiring Representative Jerrold Nadler. Candidates include Jack Schlossberg, grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, assemblyman Alex Bores, who is focused on regulating artificial intelligence, and former Republican commentator George Conway. While early polls favored Schlossberg, recent momentum has shifted toward Bores and fellow assemblyman Micah Lasher, reflecting a hunger for new leadership.
In the Hudson Valley’s 17th District, Republican incumbent Mike Lawler is being targeted by a diverse slate of Democratic challengers determined to flip the seat. From former Army officer Cait Conley to activist Effie Phillips-Staley, the field represents a spectrum of centrist and progressive visions for real change.
These primaries will determine which candidates move forward to the November general election, shaping the future of Congress and the ability to resist or enable President Donald Trump’s reactionary agenda in his final two years in office.
