How Mayor Zohran Mamdani could influence NYC's congressional primaries
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is not on the ballot in the upcoming primaries, but he could be the deciding factor in whether two sitting congressmen are defeated and whether democratic socialists gain a big foothold in Washington.
So far, Mamdani has endorsed three left-of-center candidates.
Who Mamdani has endorsed
In the 7th Congressional District in Brooklyn and Queens, he endorsed Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member Claire Valdez, going against retiring Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, who endorsed Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.
In the 10th Congressional District in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, he endorsed former comptroller Brad Lander over the current congressman, Dan Goldman.
His pick in the 13th Congressional District in Washington Heights and Harlem is not Congressman Adriano Espaillat, a man he had originally promised to back. Instead, he endorsed DSA member Darializa Avila Chevalier.
He even did an ad for the three, playing off Knicks fever.
What his endorsements mean
Political analyst J.C. Polanco said the endorsements are essentially a declaration of war on sitting members of Congress.
"We have never seen this before, ever. You've never seen a mayor come in, and the first thing he does is declare civil war on members of Congress that he needs in Washington," Polanco said. "It either shows a lack of understanding of New York City politics, it shows an overabundance of hubris because of TikTok popularity, or it can show to be one of the most incredibly well-done Machiavellian moves that we've ever seen in New York City politics."
CBS News New York political reporter Marcia Kramer says Mamdani is looking to use his popularity and his brand to get like-minded people in Washington.
Kramer says the endorsements are a gamble, however, because House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is trying to lead a Democratic campaign to flip the House, and now he has to spend campaign cash to defend two members of his caucus, Goldman and Espaillat.
