Socialist candidate wins New York Democratic primary
New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani is hailing what he describes as a “new chapter” for the Democratic Party following significant victories for socialist candidates in three New York state primaries, marking a notable gain for progressive factions. Rachel Bovard has raised concerns about this “growing movement,” some members of which advocate for radical ideas like abolishing the Senate and the Supreme Court, which are pushing from the fringes toward the central Democratic establishment.
President Donald Trump has issued a sharp warning directed at “downtrodden” blue states, decrying the far-left socialist victories in various New York City congressional districts.
He expressed on Truth Social, “Many communists are running in blue states that have failed badly. They seem to be polling quite well against each other. The grim reality is that history shows the downtrodden states they govern will only worsen. MAGA!”
The three candidates, all backed by Mayor Mamdani, have now secured their positions in nearly uncontested paths to parliament in this deeply Democratic area. They are Dalia Lisa Avila Chevalier of New York’s 13th Congressional District, State Representative Claire Valdez of the 7th Congressional District, and Brad Lander from New York’s 10th Congressional District.
Avila-Chevalier and Valdez are associated with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a group once dismissed as fringe but that has now become a significant force within the Democratic Party.
Rise of the far left: Mamdani-backed candidates oust Democratic Party establishment
Mr. Lander, a progressive Democrat and former member of the DSA, departed from the party in 2023 after its controversial stance on the October 7 Hamas attack on Israeli concertgoers, which resulted in 1,200 casualties. The DSA has gone so far as to label Israel’s response as “genocide” and prioritized support for Palestine in its platform.
Avila Chevalier unseated 71-year-old Congressman Adriano Espaillat, a fellow progressive who held the seat for five terms. Notably, she is the first former illegal immigrant to serve in Congress. Her campaign was distinctly more leftist than her opponents, calling for the abolition of ICE, an end to all deportations, and a complete overhaul of socialized medicine.
Despite being scrutinized on the campaign trail for past social media remarks advocating government confiscation of private property and derogatory comments about President Biden and Vice President Harris, Avila Chevalier triumphed over Espaillat by a margin of 3.5 points.
A similarly progressive candidate, Valdez, who currently represents the 37th Congressional District, won her primary decisively and is set to take over the position being vacated by Rep. Nydia Velasquez (D-Dennesey), who retires next January.
Hasan Piker endorses New York City candidate, celebrates America is ‘closer than ever’ to socialism
In an early morning post, President Trump harshly critiqued his previous comments, stating, “Beautiful America will never become a communist country!!!”
Following Mr. Lander’s victory over incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman of New York, Trump released his frustrations about Goldman, who was instrumental during the 2019 impeachment attempt against him.
Click here to download the FOX News app
Trump also mockingly congratulated Mamdani on his victory on Wednesday morning, emphasizing his own success in a different primary. “Mayor Mamdani defeated three stalwart communists and received massive and universal applause from the fake news media. Congratulations Mayor!” he remarked. He noted, “Last night, I helped elect a great American Patriot who went 16-0 and the media said nothing.”
He added, “For the past two years, my endorsements have won 259 primaries with very few losses and no media recognition!!! Fake news.”
The White House chose not to comment further.
