Mamdani-backed progressives unseat pro-Israel incumbents in New York primaries

Candidates endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have secured significant victories in Democratic primary elections, unseating established pro-Israel incumbents and marking a notable shift in political sentiment within the Democratic party. The wins, which include the defeat of veteran Congressman Adriano Espaillat and incumbent Dan Goldman, are characterised by advocates as a breakdown of the anti-Palestinian political establishment and a reflection of waning support for unconditional backing of Israel.

Darializa Avila Chevalier, who campaigned on uniting families affected by the immigration system and opposing what she termed genocide in Palestine, defeated Espaillat in one of the biggest upsets of the election cycle. Chevalier, who was backed by Mayor Mamdani, presented herself as an organiser working to unite families torn apart by the immigration system. Her victory, alongside that of former city comptroller Brad Lander, who defeated Dan Goldman, demonstrates the waning popularity of pro-Israel politics in Democratic circles, according to advocates.

Both Avila Chevalier and Lander are running in safe Democratic seats and are expected to win their respective general elections in November. The victories are described by advocates as a significant shift in political sentiment within the Democratic party, reflecting waning support for unconditional backing of Israel and rising popularity of pro-Palestinian rights platforms. Other Mamdani-backed candidates, such as Claire Valdez, also secured nominations, while Aber Kawas is projected to become New York’s first Palestinian state senator.

Advocates, including Beth Miller of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Action and Iman Abid of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action (USCPR Action), described the results as a political earthquake and a breakdown of the anti-Palestinian political establishment. Heba Gowayed, a sociology professor at CUNY, stated that the results represent a major defeat to establishment politics that previously viewed criticism of Israel as a political non-starter.

Public opinion polls suggest that support for Israel has been nosediving in the US, particularly among Democrats. So advocates are confident that the results in New York can translate into further victories for the Palestinian rights movement across the US. They point to the success of pro-Palestine candidates in this election cycle, including Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania and Adam Hamawy in New Jersey. Rabb paid tribute to the win of Avila Chevalier and Valdez on Tuesday. “Darializa knows we need to invest in babies not bombs, immigrants over ICE & renters not real estate developers,” he wrote on X. “Together in Congress, we’re gonna take on the DC establishment & deliver for working families across the country!”

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and other pro-Israel groups have been spending tens of millions of dollars to defeat progressive candidates. But Miller, of JVP Action, said standing up to AIPAC, embracing calls for Palestinian freedom and calling for a “full end to US complicity and Israeli apartheid and genocide” is proving to be a winning message in Democratic primaries. When the pro-Palestine winning candidates join the next Congress early in 2027, they will widen the emerging crack in the bipartisan consensus over unconditional support for Israel on Capitol Hill. However, despite the election of Congress members critical of Israel and the shift in public opinion over the past decade, US policy has remained mostly aligned with the Israeli government across Democratic and Republican administrations. Gowayed said it will take time to move policy, but she stressed that the elections in New York demonstrated that change is possible. “The reason why I feel so good is because we’re really against a machinery that is entrenched, that is extremely well funded, and that is long-lasting,” she told Al Jazeera. Miller echoed that assessment. She said the winning candidates this cycle not only increase the number of legislators who support Palestinian rights, but also send a message to other politicians that “this is a winning message”. “So, my hope is that in the next Congress we can move significantly closer to actually blocking bombs and weapons to Israel,” she said. “We should really raise the ceiling of what we believe is possible.”