KINGMAKER! Mamdani elects 3 new antizionists to Congress
Mayor Zorhan Mamdani catapulted into the role of Democratic kingmaker on Tuesday, when his personally endorsed socialist, antzionist insurgents defeated stalwarts of the middle-of-the-road Democratic establishment.
It was a clean sweep for a mayor after he appeared to go out of his way to irritate traditionally-Jewish voters leading up to the Democratic primary, deploying historic antisemitic tropes, picking fights and declining opportunities to deescalate. The Democratic nomination is tantamount to victory in the New York City districts that were in play on Tuesday.
Mamdani’s wins were with candidates who are emphatically antizionist, some facing suggestions of overt antisemitism.
•In the 13th District, including Upper Manhattan and some of the Bronx, Darializa Avila Chevalier — who, like the mayor, is a member of Democratic Socialist of America — defeated five-term incumbent Adriano Espaillat, 32,734 (49.41%) to 30,399 (45.89%), with 96.11 percent counted.
•In the 7th District, including waterfront neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso was destroyed by Assemblymember Claire Valdez, a DSA member like Chevalier, 37,531 (56.06%) to 23,960 (35.79%), with 97.51 percent counted.
While both candidates have been critical of Israeli policies, Valez trumped Reynoso in her demonization of the Jewish state. Reynoso lost despite being endorsed by the retiring incumbent, Nydia Velazquez. The district is derisively referred to by some as Brooklyn’s “Commie Corridor.”
“We haven’t just won an election, we have declared that this movement is durable that is growing,” Valdez told her victory party.
She pledged to continue to fight for Palestinian “liberation.”
“We’ll use our money to save lives here instead of destroy them abroad,” she said.
•In the 10th District, stretching from Lower Manhattan through Brownstone Brooklyn to left-wing Park Slope, former City Comptroller and veteran antizionist Brad Lander overwhelmed incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman, 55,060 (65.81%) to 28,445 (34%), with 97.46 percent counted.
Lander is an anti-Israel progressive but is not a member of Democratic Socialists of America.
While Goldman has said he would scrutinize the specifics of Israeli military-aid requests, he has been supportive of the Jewish state and refused to join Lander in saying that Israel is guilty of genocide.
At Lander’s victory party, Mamdani compared Lander to Mr. Rogers. “We need a good neighbor,” the mayor said.
Lander told CNN on Tuesday night that it’s time to “reset” the US relationship with Israel.
•In Manhattan’s 12th CD, Mamdani stayed out of the race to succeed retiring Rep. Jerrold Nadler and that’s where the most establishment-like candidate, Micah Lasher, came out of top.
Lasher defeated Assemblymember Alex Bores, 40,106 (39.14%) to 35,822 (34.96%). Jack Kennedy Schlossberg pulled 11,036 votes (10.77%) and George Conway 6,212 (6.06%).
Lasher was endorsed by Nadler and former Mayor Mike Bloomberg,
In some other races of interest:
•In Queens’ 6th CD, Rep. Grace Meng, a staunch supporter of Israel, defeated a challenge from the left by for US diplomat Chuck Park, 18,134 (56.85%) to 13,674 (42.87%), with 97.53% counted.
•State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli easily fended off a challenge by former Raj Goyle and non-profit housing executive Drew Warshaw. DiNapoli’s positivity toward Israel was a factor in the race.
•Aber Kawas, a Mamdani-blessed state Senate candidate in Queens, a DSA member who has downplayed the 9/11 terror attacks, won an open seat.
