New York House primaries test Mamdani's influence, and more races to watch in South Carolina, Maryland, Utah
Four states held primaries on Tuesday, including New York, with several closely watched congressional races, and South Carolina, with a Republican runoff in the governor's race after no candidate won majority support in the primary earlier this month.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's influence was tested at the ballot box Tuesday, with all three of his preferred congressional candidates winning their races — two of whom defeated incumbents. Mamdani cut an ad for the three candidates he endorsed that ran during the New York Knicks' playoff games, and he spoke at a rally over the weekend on their behalf.
Voters in Manhattan's wealthy and powerful 12th District also selected a Democratic nominee.
Voters in Utah and Maryland cast votes in primaries in their states, too. Here are the key races to watch:
New York's 10th District
During last year's mayoral election, Mamdani and former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander cross-endorsed each other during the ranked-choice voting process. After Mamdani's win, Lander threw his hat in the ring to challenge incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman, who served as one of the Democrats' lawyers in their first effort to impeach President Trump.
Lander defeated Goldman in Tuesday's primary, CBS News has projected.
Goldman had won the district, which includes Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, in 2022 after a crowded, expensive Democratic primary. (An heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, he is one of the wealthiest members of Congress.) But since then, Goldman has advocated for more support for Israel than other progressive Democrats, which Lander said inspired him to run. Both Lander and Goldman are Jewish, but their differing views on Israel's actions in Gaza made this one of the dominant issues in the race.
Mamdani backed Lander, along with Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries supported Goldman.
The district is heavily Democratic, so Lander is favored to win in November.
New York's 7th District
Nydia Velázquez, the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress, announced last year that she would retire at the end of this term, her 16th. In her retirement announcement, she took note of Mamdani's victory, saying, "Americans are hungry for change."
Her district, which encompasses parts of western Brooklyn and Queens, is part of what's been nicknamed the "Commie Corridor," given its leftward tilt. Her chosen successor was Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, who is also a progressive.
But Mamdani, who served in the state Assembly representing a nearby Queens district, backed another Democrat, Assemblywoman Claire Valdez, a fellow democratic socialist.
CBS News projected Tuesday that Valdez had easily defeated Reynoso in Tuesday's Democratic primary.
Her victory came after the race turned into a proxy fight pitting the established progressive wing of the Democratic Party against the democratic socialists.
New York's 13th District
In the 13th District, which encompasses Upper Manhattan, Mamdani backed democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier, who was one of his field organizers, against incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat.
Chevalier won the primary, CBS News has projected.
Espaillat, 71 and the first formerly undocumented immigrant to serve in the House, was not initially considered to face any serious risk from a primary challenger. He's been in Congress since 2017 and is the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. In the 2025 mayor's race, he first backed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and then quickly endorsed Mamdani after the primary.
Mamdani's endorsement of Avila Chevalier, 32, shocked the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. The New York Times reported that Mamdani had agreed last year to back Espaillat. Hochul, Jeffries and New York Attorney General Letitia James supported Espaillat.
In a debate, Espaillat raised some of Chevalier's now-deleted social media posts, including one in which she said "f*** Kamala Harris." She has since apologized.
New York's 12th District
Longtime Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler is retiring, opening up the seat in one of the nation's wealthiest districts, encompassing Midtown Manhattan and the Upper East and West Sides. The Democratic nomination will go to Micah Lasher, CBS News projected.
In the crowded race, Nadler had endorsed Lasher, a state Assemblyman and former Nadler aide who also had the backing of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. Hochul.
The other main contenders were New York Assemblyman Alex Bores, who ran on a platform to regulate artificial intelligence; former Republican-turned-Trump antagonist George Conway, who said he'll only serve one term in order to impeach Mr. Trump; and political newcomer Jack Schlossberg, John F. Kennedy's telegenic grandson and social media star.
It's been an expensive race, with $26 million in ad spending, according to AdImpact.
Given the district's strong Democratic leaning, Lasher is favored to win in November. Mamdani, now living in Gracie Mansion, resides in the district and confirmed he voted — but he hasn't revealed who received his vote.
New York's 17th District
Five Democrats vied for the chance to take on Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in New York's 17th District, which includes parts of Westchester County and the Hudson Valley.
CBS News has projected that former Biden administration cybersecurity expert Cait Conley won the Democratic nomination, defeating Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson and progressive Tarrytown Village Trustee Effie Phillips-Staley.
Lawler is one of only three Republicans representing a district that Kamala Harris won in the 2024 presidential race, making it a key target for Democrats. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as a toss-up, and Mr. Trump has campaigned in the district for Lawler.
"It's hard to say any one district is a 'must win,' but this one is certainly close to it," Cook Political Report's Erin Covey told CBS New York earlier this month.
New York's 21st District
The bitter GOP primary in northern New York's 21st Congressional District pitted Anthony Constantino, a Trump-backed businessman and political newcomer, against Robert Smullen, a state assemblyman with the support of the state GOP and other local Republicans.
Constantino won the primary, CBS News has projected, in another window into Mr. Trump's immense sway over his party.
Constantino and Smullen vied to replace GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik, who was initially Mr. Trump's pick for ambassador to the United Nations before he pulled the nomination, asking her to remain in Congress to help the House hold the party's razor-thin majority. She later announced a bid for governor, but exited the race after Mr. Trump declined to endorse her. She has not endorsed in the race.
The primary became increasingly tense, with the candidates accusing one another of defamation and threatening to sue each other over claims made during the campaign.
Utah's 1st District
Four candidates competed in the Democratic primary in Utah's newly redrawn 1st Congressional District, which encompasses Salt Lake City and its suburbs — a seat that could help determine the House majority in November.
Former Rep. Ben McAdams won the primary, CBS News projected.
A Democrat hasn't been elected to represent Utah in the House since 2018. The new maps made the 1st Congressional District, which is currently held by Republican Rep. Blake Moore, more favorable to Democrats. The University of Virginia's Sabato's Crystal Ball considers the seat a safe pickup for Democrats.
McAdams, the last Democrat to represent Utah in Congress, defeated state Sen. Nate Blouin, political newcomer and Utah Democratic convention winner Liban Mohamed and tax attorney Michael Farrell.
South Carolina governor Republican runoff
State Attorney General Alan Wilson won South Carolina's Republican gubernatorial nomination in a runoff Tuesday, CBS News has projected, after he came in second place behind Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in a crowded field in the first round of the primary.
Originally, Evette entered the contest with significant political momentum behind her. Both Gov. Henry McMaster and Mr. Trump threw their support behind the lieutenant governor, with the president calling her a "good friend, fighter, and WINNER." He also posted on Truth Social on May 29: "Pam has my Complete and Total Endorsement — SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!"
On Friday, Mr. Trump posted on social media that he will be endorsing both candidates in this race. He wrote: "I can't hurt one of them by only endorsing the other, so, therefore, I am going to endorse, for Governor of South Carolina, both Pam Evette and Alan Wilson!"
This new endorsement came after Wilson picked up momentum in the polls with a lead over Evette. It also came after these past weeks when Mr. Trump's previous endorsements in two other gubernatorial primaries did not result in wins. Wilson also won the endorsement of Rep. Nancy Mace, who had also been running in the primary but did not advance to the runoff.
McMaster is term-limited out of office. The South Carolina governor's position has been held by a Republican for the last 23 years and the seat is reliably red, making the runoff a pivotal contest in determining who will lead South Carolina. In November, Wilson will take on Democrat Jermaine Johnson, who won his primary outright on June 9.
Maryland's 5th District
After having served in the House for almost 45 years, Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer decided not to run for reelection. This led to a competitive primary with 23 Democratic candidates vying for the seat.
Hoyer endorsed his previous campaign manager, Adrian Boafo, who is currently a Prince George's County Democratic delegate. Hoyer described Boafo as "as warm as he is smart, as principled as he is pragmatic." Boafo was also endorsed by other prominent Democrats, including Gov. Wes Moore and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks.
CBS News projected that Boafo won the Democratic primary, defeating other leading candidates Harry Dunn and Quincy Bareebe.
Dunn is a former U.S. Capitol Police officer who was present during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Dunn had been endorsed by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who issued a statement calling him "a true American hero and exactly the right person to represent Maryland in Congress."
Bareebe has a thin political career but a lengthy background as an entrepreneur. Bareebe is the CEO of a local healthcare company that specializes in home care and assisted living. Bareebe has largely self-funded her $5.7 million campaign, according to The Baltimore Sun.
Maryland governor's race
Republican Dan Cox will face incumbent Democratic Gov. Wes Moore in November's Maryland gubernatorial race, CBS News has projected, after both candidates won their respective primaries Tuesday.
Moore defeated Cox in 2022 with 65% of the vote and has maintained steady approval ratings throughout his first term. In the 2022 race, Cox secured an endorsement from Mr. Trump, who called him "MAGA all the way." Mr. Trump has not yet made an endorsement in this year's race.
Cox defeated a handful of other Republicans on the ballot, including Ed Hale, a former Democrat who thought it would be a "pragmatic choice" to switch affiliations and run against Cox in the GOP primary. Cox heavily criticized the move on social media.
Cox says he is concerned about inflation and debt, and that he believes in protecting the American Dream and "securing our borders to combat deadly increases in fentanyl trafficking." Hale says he wants to freeze taxes to encourage competition and focus on economic growth, "fully fund law enforcement," and reduce reliance on federal funding. With no public polling available, it's unclear which candidate is favored to win.
Moore, widely considered a 2028 presidential hopeful, defeated Democratic primary challenger Eric Felber on Tuesday.
