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New York’s Primary Election Results

We are showing there is a new path for politics in our city and in our country

In a trio of hotly contested races, candidates backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the DSA-fueled movement that brought him to Gracie Mansion swept the field in a congressional primary trifecta that left mainstream Democrats humbled.

The night’s biggest upset: political newcomer Darializa Avila Chevalier unseated veteran Rep. Adriano Espaillat in a bitter campaign to represent the 13th Congressional District in Upper Manhattan and parts of The Bronx. In the left-leaning Brooklyn-Queens “commie corridor,” Assemblymember Claire Valdez romped to victory over the progressive Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, while former Comptroller Brad Lander handily defeated Rep. Dan Goldman in lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn.

The tectonic shift that shook Queens during the Democratic primary on Tuesday night was centered in the so-called “commie corridor” of western Queens and its epicenter was in Astoria. Democratic socialists achieved victory in two state Senate races and four state Assembly races, despite millions of dollars spent by super PACs aimed against them.Aber Kawas, a Palestinian-American, triumphed in the state Senate Democratic primary for District 12, while state Sen. Jabari Brisport (D) secured more than 78 percent of the vote to win another term for his seat in District 25.

I’ve updated all of the races previously posted in April and June with the names of the winners.

What does this mean for the Democratic Party and the upcoming Midterm Elections?

The latest round of primary wins has plunged Democrats deeper into a tug-of-war over the direction of their party. It’s remained an open question since losses in 2024 turned over the White House and both congressional chambers to Republicans. At least part of the party blamed establishment Democrats, casting party elders as more interested in entrenched power than appealing to the kind of voters who helped usher in President Donald Trump’s second term.

Today, the fissures in the Democratic Party go beyond progressives versus moderates, extending to critics of Israel versus supporters of the Jewish state, those backed by the party establishment versus insurgents, and those who accept corporate money versus those who refuse it.

The New York Primary results could forecast future for Democrats. “These victories prove that democratic socialists are building a winning coalition,” NYC-DSA co-chair Grace Mausser said in a statement.”While the Democratic establishment and MAGA fascists ignore the needs of working people, democratic socialists are speaking to the ever-growing base of voters demanding we end war, abolish ICE, tax the rich, and win universal healthcare.“

Tech money is driving expensive races . That includes in Manhattan, where super PACs linked to Big AI tried to sway voters in a packed 12th Congressional District race.

But even with those high-profile wins, it remains unclear how this blueprint can translate elsewhere in the country, given Democrat Socialist of America backed candidates have yet to pull off a victory outside of a major city. But there are progressives who have.

The primary results in Pennsylvania and Georgia supported the takeaway that the Democratic base keeps backing progressives, but gave additional messages about the future of the Democratic Party. One is Democrats are coalescing around a working class message. Possible 2028 candidates are scoring big wins with their slate of candidates. Name recognition matters. Colorado’s primary results, too, points in the direction that Democrats are over incumbents and moderates.

The Attack on the Voting Process
to sway the Midterm Elections and Beyond

Trump and the Republican Administration continue to carry out the extensive objectives of Project 2025. There is a policy blueprint spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation that outlines a series of conservative objectives aimed at restructuring federal election oversight and the administration of voting. These proposed changes include shifting election crime prosecutions to the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, limiting federal involvement in combating election disinformation, and giving federal and state governments broader access to voter rolls. You can track what additional Project 2025 objectives have been completed.

There are many ways that Trump is trying to tip the scales for the midterms. This includes taking steps to nationalize elections, tightening voting restrictions, pushing for mid decade redistricting, cutting election security, undermining faith in the electoral system by questioning previous results, and punishing those who have worked against election denialism.

Trump’s Executive Override strategy includes ways to Deceive, Disrupt, and Deny. His strategy to Deceive includes conspiracy theories and baseless investigations in California, installing Pulte as director of DNI to find “evidence” of election fraud and having partisan FCC and DOJ intimidate and manipulate news outlets. His Disrupt strategy includes creating an unworkable USPS rule that threatens mail-in ballots, pressure to pass the SAVE act, using political prosecutions that target voting organizations and election officials, surveilling, harassing, and prosecuting protesters and critics to make people hesitate before speaking out., and the Roberts Court decisions that sows election chaos. The Deny strategy includes purging independent voices from the GOP, paying off election denial henchmen (Jan 6 insurrectionists), and after the Callais decision, state officials have canceled elections, nullified results, and sidelined a non-MAGA officeholder to gain maximum partisan advantage.

Defeating Trump’s Objectives: Federal district courts have held the line against illegal power grabs. A federal court ruling declared that the 2026 Executive Order interference with voter rolls and mail-in ballots was unconstitutional and unlawful. The decision came in a case brought by 23 states and the District of Columbia, led by California. Additionally, pressure on Congress have yielded crucial wins. Bipartisan majorities have rejected Trump’s demands to pass the SAVE Act, create the $1.8 billion slush fund for his henchmen, and to confirm Bill Pulte for Director of National Intelligence. States have passed laws to hold federal agents accountable for civil rights abuses. States are working toward passing the Universal Constitutional Remedies Act (UCRA). It would let state residents sue federal agents or officials who violate their constitutional rights through acts like violence, harassment, or intimidation. It is gaining momentum across the country.

What You Can Do

Activist groups and communities have effectively organized to coordinate legal and advocacy responses to attacks on civil rights and voting organizations, to mobilize voters and defend the right to protest and dissent, and to stand in solidarity with federal workers who refuse to comply with dangerous and illegal orders

Volunteer with and/or donate to

Indivisible
Local and national ACLU chapters
Move On
Local and national League of Women Voters chapters

Protect Democracy is a nonpartisan, cross-ideological nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing American democracy from declining into authoritarianism. Founded in 2016 by former White House lawyers, the group works across the political spectrum to safeguard the institutions, laws, and norms that define U.S. liberal democracy

Contact your Federal, State and Local Representatives who are in the process of creating legislation in response to each assault on our Democracy.

Upcoming Midterm Elections

Donate to individual campaigns(no amount is too small) Volunteer. Become involved. Make this your Democratic Party by supporting candidates who represent your views. Become informed. Sign petitions. Attend town halls and rallies. Ask questions. Listen and support. Volunteer on a campaign and be willing to support by canvassing, phone banking, writing letters to the editor, setting up lawn signs and setting up rallies or town halls.

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The most competitive U.S. House and Senate midterm elections across the country.