Mamdani-backed candidates win big in New York Democratic primaries – US politics live

Mamdani-backed candidates win big in New York primary Hello and welcome to our US politics liveblog. Three congressional candidates endorsed by Zohran Mamdani , New York’s democratic socialist mayor, won their closely watched primaries on Tuesday, beating out incumbents or incumbent-backed candidates supported by the Democratic establishment . Brad Lander , the former New York City comptroller who also ran for mayor last year before endorsing Mamdani, defeated the two-term incumbent Democrat Dan Goldman in NY-10. Political newcomer Darializa Avila Chevalier won against five-term incumbent Democrat Adriano Espaillat in NY-13 in a stunning upset. And in NY-7, Claire Valdez beat out Brooklyn borough president Antonio Reynoso – the handpicked successor of Nydia Velázquez , the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in Congress who is considered a progressive giant of New York City politics. This clean sweep for Mamdani is a clear indicator of his growing influence – and that of his ascendant progressive movement – over the Democratic party . “The old politics that got us into this crisis is not the politics that’s going to get us out of this crisis,” Mamdani said at a watch party for Valdez. In other developments: In Maryland , Adrian Boafo won the extremely crowded primary race to succeed Steny Hoyer , the longest-serving House Democrat and a longtime member of leadership who is retiring at the end of his 23rd term. …