All three congressional candidates endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani won their races Tuesday, ABC News projected. Each had beaten an establishment-backed Democrat in the June primary.
Claire Valdez, a democratic socialist and state Assembly member, won the 7th District, which covers parts of Brooklyn and Queens, defeating Republican Melvin Rivera. She will succeed retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez. In the primary, Valdez beat Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, who had Velázquez's support.
Darializa Avila Chevalier, also a democratic socialist, won the 13th District, which stretches across Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. In June she defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Fox News reported.
Brad Lander, the former city comptroller, won the 10th District over Republican Jennifer Moore. He defeated Rep. Dan Goldman in the primary.
None of the three faced a real threat in the general election. The districts are heavily Democratic, and CBS News noted that the primary wins had all but settled the outcome.
Across the country, eight candidates who are members of the Democratic Socialists of America or were backed by the group won their races, Newsweek reported. Some ran ahead of the margins Democrats posted in their districts in 2024.
In Colorado, Melat Kiros, 29, won the Denver-area 1st District. She will be the first Black woman elected to Congress from the state, Democracy Now reported. DSA-backed Democrats Donavan McKinney in Michigan and Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania also won.
Not everyone in the party is pleased. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has been one of the few Democrats to voice concern publicly about the direction of some nominees. Democratic strategist Mally Smith told Fox News Digital that the party has room for the left but argued that candidates like Roy Cooper and James Talarico are the ones who win in swing and Republican states.