New York primary night live updates as key House races test Mamdani's influence

The New York City Board of Elections said voter turnout reached 420,527 in its 6 p.m. update. 

Here's the borough-by-borough breakdown:

• Manhattan -- 149,521
• Bronx -- 44,965
• Brooklyn -- 137, 295
• Queens -- 81,247
• Staten Island -- 7,499

The total number of check-ins includes early voting. 

At Wagner Middle School on the Upper East Side, 12th Congressional District voters made it clear Tuesday what they want from the candidates looking to fill retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler's seat.

They cited issues like Medicare, elder care, drug costs, AI's impact on the job market, housing, and taxing the rich.

The 12th District, which includes the Upper East Side, Upper West Side and Midtown, is one of the most closely watched races on the ballot. Millions of dollars have been poured into what has turned into a national political battleground.

An Emerson College poll from last month shows Assemblymen Micah Lasher and Alex Bores as the leading contenders.

Bores voted on the Upper West Side on Tuesday.

"The fact that I'm out there, that I am taking on the AI industry head on and fighting for New Yorkers, people are really resonant with that," Bores said.

Other candidates include Jack Schlossberg, John F. Kennedy's grandson, and President Trump critic and former Republican George Conway.

"This is the last two years of Donald Trump and he's getting worse. We cant survive 31 more months of what we seen for the past 17. That's the reason for the first time in my life I'm running for political office," Conway said.

It's important to note that Mayor Zohran Mamdani has not endorsed any candidate.

New York's 17th Congressional District in Rockland, Putnam, Westchester and Dutchess counties is currently represented by Republican Rep. Mike Lawler.

Five Democrats are vying for the chance to try to unseat him in November.

The candidates are:

• Former Biden administration cybersecurity expert Cait Conley
• Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson
• Tarrytown Village Trustee Effie Phillips-Staley
• Retired Air Force officer John Cappello
• Former lawyer and TV reporter Mike Sacks

Lawler is uncontested in the Republican primary.

The 17th Congressional District has more registered Democratic voters than Republican voters, yet it is one of only three districts nationwide won by Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election that is represented by a Republican in the House.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani voted early in the primary elections.

He filled out his ballot Saturday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the Upper East Side. Mamdani did not share who he voted for.

Gracie Mansion, the mayor's official residence, is located in New York's 12th Congressional District, where eight candidates are fighting for the opportunity to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler.

Those candidates are:

• Nina Schwalbe
• Patrick Timmins
• Chris Diep
• George Conway
• Laura Dunn
• Micah C. Lasher
• Alex Bores
• Jack Kennedy Schlossberg

The only other race on the ballot in the 12th Congressional District is city comptroller.

Voters in Brooklyn and Queens are picking a replacement for retiring Rep. Nydia Velazquez.

The choice is between Councilmember Julie Won, Assemblymember Claire Valdez and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.

Reynoso, Velazquez's hand-picked choice to succeed her, cast his ballot at the elementary school he attended as a child.

"It's like full circle to know a little kid from the south side of Williamsburg that was on Section 8 and food stamps could come into a school that raised him and vote for himself for Congress," he said. "It's just like what dreams are made of."

Valdez was out Tuesday afternoon, working to get out the vote.

"We're running phone banks, text banks, and we have a number of canvasses going out today as well," she said. "This campaign has already knocked 300,000 doors, and we intend to knock even more before it's all said and done."

Won cast her ballot during early voting.

Five-term incumbent Adriano Espaillat faces democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier for New York's 13th Congressional District, covering Upper Manhattan and the Bronx.

Espaillat is seeking reelection to the seat that he's held since 2017. The 72-year-old said he understands the problems of the community.

"I cast that vote with pride, being a resident of New York City and this neighborhood basically all my life since I got here from the Dominican Republic at the age of 9," he said. "I've never left Washington Heights, stayed here. I think I'm part of the fabric of this community."

Chevalier is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and is endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. She said she's looking to bring change to the district.

"As a Black woman, as a Dominican woman, as the daughter of immigrants, it is my honor to have run a campaign that centers working people," she said, "and it is my privilege to be able to vote today, my privilege to do that with my community, to fight for my community."

New Yorkers are heading to the polls in a Primary Day that could reshape the state's representation in Washington. It also marks the first major test of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's political influence and his ability to mobilize voters.

He endorsed three left-of-center candidates:  Claire Valdez in the 7th Congressional District, Brad Lander in the 10th Congressional District, and Darializa Avila Chevalier in the 13th Congressional District.

It's a high-stakes bet for Mamdani because his decision to back the three candidates and their attempt to defeat sitting Congressmen Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat crossed a lot of high-powered Democrats, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and retiring Rep. Nydia Velazquez.

"I think what we see in these candidacies is a referendum on whether the kind of leadership we have is the one that is serving the people of the city," Mamdani said. "It's not just a question of electing more Democrats, it's a question of electing better Democrats."

With voter turnout a concern, the mayor was trying to use his own popularity to get the people who supported his mayoral campaign to go to the polls, which is why, experts say, he has been attacking AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobbying group. Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel sentiment was a motivating factor in Mamdani's election victory.

Goldman, who has been repeatedly slammed by Lander on the issue, was clearly frustrated and upset, saying that the AIPAC attack could lead to more antisemitism.

"Just because you oppose the [Israeli] government does not mean that you should oppose the country, and that gets conflated," he said. "And then it gets applied and taken out on American Jews."

Meanwhile, New York City Councilman Phil Wong filed a complaint with the Conflicts of Interest Board, charging that it was unethical for Mamdani to use his city car and security detail to travel with Chevalier. The mayor's office did not respond to a request for comment.

The New York City Board of Elections said 330,115 voters checked in as of 3 p.m.

Here's the breakdown by borough:

• Manhattan -- 120,494
• Bronx -- 33,840
• Brooklyn -- 106,685
• Queens -- 63,213
• Staten Island -- 5,883

The totals include check-ins during the early voting window. 

Early voting took place across New York City from June 13-21.

According to the city Board of Elections, an estimated 172,743 people voted early.

Manhattan saw the most early voters with 67,369, followed by Brooklyn with 54,277, then Queens with 33,143, the Bronx with 14,739, and Staten Island with 3,215.

Political expert J.C. Polanco said voter turnout Tuesday will play a key role.

"We had early voting for 10 days. Only 4.9%, roughly 5%, of all registered Democrats in New York City participated," he said. "That means that 95% of Democrats haven't even voted yet."

Voters in New York City can find their polling place by entering their address on the city Board of Elections website.

Those outside the city can enter their name, date of birth, ZIP code and county on the state Board of Elections website to get their voter information, including their poll site.

As a reminder, your polling site for early voting may be different than your polling site for Election Day.

You must be in line to vote by 9 p.m.