Progressive Brad Lander’s surging bid for Congress splinters Democrats' labor union alliance

Congressional candidate Brad Lander, Congressional candidate Claire Valdez, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and Congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier raise their hands during a Get Out the Vote (GOTV) rally at Kings Theater on June 18, 2026 in New York City. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images Conventional wisdom would suggest that Dan Goldman cruises to re-nomination in Tuesday's Democratic primary for New York's 10th congressional district. Scandal-free, two-term incumbent representatives who maintain a community presence, stay out of the national media spotlight and vote nearly entirely in line with their party rarely see bruising challenges from among their own ranks. And yet, Goldman finds himself in the midst of what has turned into an ugly, contentious battle for his political life. Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who finished a distant third in the Democratic primary for city mayor last year — after a cross-endorsement with Mayor Zohran Mamdani that consolidated the progressive vote — hopes to capitalize on the anti-establishment sentiment sweeping through Democratic primaries nationwide. With endorsements from progressive figures like Mamdani and Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt., and organizations like the New York Working Families Party, Lander has sought to position himself distinctly to Goldman's left. …