Mamdani seeks to remake NYC congressional delegation in his socialist image, clashes with old guard

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is quietly seeking to remake the city’s congressional delegation in his image, and cement his power bloc within the Democratic Party while he still enjoys popularity in the city. The democratic socialist Mamdani has endorsed three ideologically aligned candidates — all considered “far left” by traditional Democrats — seeking to expand his influence in the city where he was elected as mayor last November. In particular, Mamdani has endorsed three ideologically aligned candidates seeking to unseat current members of the Democratic caucus, two-term Rep. Dan Goldman and Congressional Hispanic Caucus leader Adriano Espaillat. 
Collision course with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries
Mamdani’s endorsements and campaigning against incumbent Democratic lawmakers in particular are putting him on a quiet collision course with establishment Democratic leaders, especially House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who, tasked with winning a majority in the upcoming midterm elections, has been forced to divert resources to defend the incumbents. 
Two of them are officially endorsed by the New York chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, the largest socialist organization in the United States, which has close ties to Mamdani. The mayor, who is a member of the DSA, leaned heavily on the backing of the DSA to win both the Democratic primary in June and the city’s general election. 
Those close to Mamdani say that his decision to endorse candidates challenging establishment-backed figures and bucking party leadership is part of an attempt to “radically” reorient the Democratic Party towards his vision. 
Sanders aide: “We can radically change the Democratic Party”
“He’s seeing that opportunity – that we can radically change the Democratic Party,” said Faiz Shakir, an advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders and described as a friend of Mamdani’s. “Like Bernie, he’s not saying I’m doing this out of spite against you, dear leadership. He’s saying, I am supporting these candidates who have a better vision, and I am prepared to lose if it has to be the case.”
Against Goldman in New York’s 10th Congressional District, Mamdani has backed Brad Lander, the former New York City comptroller who once ran against Mamdani for the mayoral nomination, but who then gave his backing to the democratic socialist upstart. Lander has made his opposition to Israel’s campaign in Gaza and against Palestinian terrorist organizations a centerpiece of his campaign, aligning with Mamdani’s own criticism of the Jewish state. 
Lander, who is himself Jewish, has embraced much of the language and policy agenda of the pro-Palestinian movement, including describing Israel’s conduct in Gaza as genocide and pledging to oppose additional U.S. military aid while the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues.
“As a proud Jewish New Yorker, I will join you in that fight to end occupation and apartheid and genocide,” Lander said at one campaign event earlier this month. Goldman declined to endorse Mamdani and did not vote for him in the general election, citing the socialist mayor’s lax attitude towards anti-semitism. 
“I have asked him to consider taking serious and concrete action to demonstrate that he is going to make sure that Jews are protected and are secure in our city, and I hope he does that,” Goldman said during the election. 
Lander has made Israel a centerpiece of his campaign against Goldman. The candidate has attacked the congressman for taking donations from AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the organization that has become a frequently invoked boogeyman for critics of Israel on both the left and the right. 
He also criticized Goldman for voting for military aid packages to Israel during its wars. “We can’t continue to be complicit in genocide,” Lander said of his opposition to those packages. 
Mamdani has also faced scrutiny for his anti-Israel views. For example, the Democratic mayoral nominee’s own statement the day after the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks by Hamas made no mention of the terrorist group and included condemnation of Israel only.
The polling shows that Lander is mounting a significant challenge to Goldman. In an Emerson College poll last month, Lander led the incumbent Goldman by 34 points, 57% to 23%. At the time, 20% of the district’s electorate remained undecided. 
Though Lander is ideologically aligned with Mamdani, he is not endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America and is not a member of the party. That is not the case for the other two candidates backed by Mamdani. If Mamdani’s gambit is successful, it would double DSA representation in Congress. 
Valdez called for the abolition of ICE
In New York’s 7th Congressional District, Mamdani is backing Claire Valdez, a New York Assembly member and union organizer, who has the endorsement of the DSA. In her campaign, Valdez has adopted a similar platform to Mamdani, like a “Housing for All” policy that includes universal rent control and public funding for housing. 
She has also called for the abolition of ICE, the legalization of “millions of immigrant Americans, Medicare for all, “Queer and Trans Liberation,” and an end to all weapons sales and military to Israel, according to her campaign website. 
Valdez is in a tight race with Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, who is backed by outgoing Representative Nydia Velazquez. Reynoso is also running on a progressive platform.  
Mamdani’s endorsement in New York’s 13th Congressional District has especially rankled Democratic leadership. Mamdani is supporting the democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier against the current Congressional Hispanic Caucus leader, Rep. Adriano Espaillat. 
Espaillat has represented the Upper Manhattan district for nearly a decade and endorsed Mamdani for Mayor of New York City last year, although after initially backing former state Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the primary. 
“I think it’s outrageous,” said Rep. Juan Vargas, a Democrat from California. “Here we have the leader of the Hispanic Caucus, who has worked hard in his position, a very progressive guy, and all of a sudden he’s cut off at the knees by the mayor, who told him he was going to support him.”
Jeffries continues to placate old-guard democrats
Though House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has declined to criticize Mamdani directly for the endorsements against the party establishment, he has remained steadfast in his support for the incumbents, Espaillat and Goldman.
“I trust the voters to make the right decision in all of these different races. I, of course, will continue to aggressively support Congressman Espaillat and Congressman Dan Goldman,” Jeffries told Punchbowl News. 
Jeffries, who is responsible for efforts to earn Democrats a majority in the House in the upcoming midterm elections, likely laments the need to divert attention to safe Democratic seats to ensure the success of the incumbents.
The results of the upcoming primaries will also be a test of Jeffries’ influence and whether Mamdani has the potential to develop an enduring legacy of political power at the expense of the city’s Democratic establishment. 
“This is high-risk, high-reward,” Rebecca Katz, a Democratic strategist whose firm worked with Mamdani in the mayoral election, told NBC News. “He’s not afraid to take some big swings.”

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