Mamdani picks winners in three New York House races

Summary

NPR Politics Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Mamdani Picks Winners in Three New York House Races

Date: June 24, 2026
Hosts: Tamara Keith, Elena Moore (NPR), John Campbell (New York Public Radio)

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Overview & Main Theme

This episode unpacks the surprising results from New York’s recent House primaries, focusing on New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s triumphant role as a political kingmaker. The hosts analyze how Mamdani’s endorsements led to wins over the Democratic establishment, what this says about the party’s internal direction, and the implications for both the midterms and the broader national landscape. The episode also briefly covers expensive races in New York’s 12th, the competitive GOP primary in NY-21, the battleground NY-17, and key contests in Utah and South Carolina.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Zoran Mamdani as Kingmaker in New York (00:45–04:05)

• Mamdani’s Endorsements:
  • Endorsed three Congressional candidates in liberal New York districts—all won:
    • NY-13: Darieliza Avila Chevalier (community organizer, DSA) unseated incumbent Adriano Espaillat, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair.
    • NY-10: Brad Lander (former comptroller, progressive) beat incumbent Dan Goldman.
    • NY-7: Claire Valdez (state assemblymember, DSA) won a three-way race.
  • Mamdani’s support helped anti-establishment and progressive-aligned candidates, indicating his growing influence.
• Breaking with Party Leaders:
  • Mamdani openly defied establishment figures like Hakeem Jeffries and retiring Rep. Nydia Velasquez by backing rival candidates, a risky political move for a newcomer.

Memorable Moment:

“He made three congressional endorsements and he went three for three… This was really a moment for Mayor Mamdani to flex his political muscle.”
—John Campbell (01:03)

Notable Quote:

“What you all have shown this evening, whether for State assembly, state Senate, or Congress, is that a year ago, it was not the end of a political movement. It was the beginning.”
—Zoran Mamdani at a victory party (02:43)

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2. Core Issues in the New York Races (04:05–06:27)

• Progressive vs. Establishment:
  • Tensions centered on big themes: outsider group spending, tech industry influence, Israel/Gaza policy divisions, and generational leadership changes.
  • NY-10 as an example: Both candidates Jewish, but diverged on Israel. Lander (liberal Zionist) vs. Goldman (AIPAC ties).
• Affordability Not Forefront:
  • Traditionally central for Mamdani, but overshadowed this cycle, though still significant in more moderate or suburban races.

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3. The Money Race: NY-12 and the Role of AI (06:27–09:19)

• NY-12:
  • Among the most expensive House primaries ever, with AI industry groups spending heavily.
  • Michael Lasher (establishment, Bloomberg-backed) prevailed over Alex Boris despite AI industry spending for/against multiple candidates.
  • “Name” candidates, like JFK’s grandson Jack Schlossberg and George Conway, ultimately lost; establishment won amidst the chaos.

Insight:

“New York 12 is a good example of something we’ve seen in other…blue districts…when a longtime Democrat decides to pass the baton, it seems like the party doesn’t exactly know what to do.”
—Elena Moore (08:11)

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4. GOP Primary Dynamics: NY-21 and Trump’s Role (09:19–11:01)

• NY-21:
  • Long held by Elise Stefanik; this year saw a heated battle between a Trump-backed loyalist and the establishment’s pick after Stefanik’s departure.
  • Anthony Constantino—a MAGA enthusiast—was endorsed by Trump after a series of high-profile pro-Trump stunts and swept to victory over Robert Smolin.

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5. NY-17: The Battleground District (12:25–15:27)

• The Democratic Primary:
  • Kate Connelly (military veteran, more moderate) wins a crowded primary to face GOP Rep. Mike Lawler, a formidable incumbent.
  • Lawler’s district is genuinely competitive; Democrats view it as a top pickup opportunity, but Lawler has a record of surprising wins.
• Both Sides Play the Extremism Game:
  • Expect Lawler to tie Connelly to Democratic socialists, while Connelly will link Lawler to Trump.

Discussion:

“Lawler is going to have to toe a line here that most other lawmakers…do not have to toe…”
—Elena Moore (14:24)

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6. Republican Strategy: Nationalizing the ‘Democratic Socialist’ Message (15:48–17:42)

• Speaker Mike Johnson’s Warning:
  • National Republicans plan to use progressive wins as evidence Democrats are controlled by socialists.

Memorable Quote:

“You’ve been hearing me say for weeks, there are many Mamdanis popping up all around the country…it is a dangerous thing... This is going to decide the direction of the country.”
—Speaker Mike Johnson (16:11)

• Broader Impact:
  • This attack line isn’t new (think: AOC), but Mamdani’s wins give it fresh energy and national salience as the GOP seeks to motivate its base and sway swing voters.

Analysis:

“Regardless of whether Mamdani’s policies…reflect a broader electorate, the Republican Party is going to argue that it does or that it could. That’s why we need to keep tabs on it.”
—Elena Moore (17:42)

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7. Other Competitive Primaries: Utah & South Carolina (18:13–19:05)

• Utah House District 1 (Democratic Primary):
  • Moderate former Rep. Ben McAdams wins, signaling continuing strength for centrist candidates in select non-coastal seats.
• South Carolina GOP Gubernatorial Runoff:
  • Attorney General Allen Wilson defeats Lt. Gov. Pamela Yvette.
  • Trump, reading the runoff tea leaves, awkwardly backs both, highlighting the changing dynamics and sometimes fickle nature of endorsements.

Lighthearted Note:

“Heads up, I win, tails you lose. He’s always a winner.”
—Tamara Keith on Trump’s double endorsement (19:17)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Mamandi’s Primary Endorsements: 00:45–02:34
• Mamandi’s victory speech: 02:43
• Issues in the NY Primaries & DSA Dynamics: 04:05–06:27
• NY-12: Money & AI Influence: 06:27–09:19
• NY-21 GOP Primary & Trump: 09:19–11:01
• NY-17 Swing Seat Battle: 12:25–15:27
• National Republican Framing: 15:48–17:42
• Utah & SC Key Races and Wrap-up: 18:13–19:17

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Notable Quotes

• “He made three congressional endorsements and he went three for three.” – John Campbell (01:03)
• “What you all have shown…is that a year ago, it was not the end of a political movement. It was the beginning.” – Zoran Mamdani (02:43)
• “New York 12 is a good example…when a longtime Democrat passes the baton, it seems like the party doesn’t exactly know what to do.” – Elena Moore (08:11)
• “You’ve been hearing me say for weeks, there are many Mamdanis popping up all around the country. It is a dangerous thing…This is going to decide the direction of the country.” – Speaker Mike Johnson (16:11)
• “Lawler is going to have to toe a line here that most other lawmakers in this country do not have to toe.” – Elena Moore (14:24)
• “Heads up, I win, tails you lose. He’s always a winner.” – Tamara Keith, on Trump’s double endorsement in South Carolina (19:17)

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Tone & Takeaways

The hosts maintained a conversational but analytical tone, balancing insightful commentary with a sense of urgency about the election’s significance. Key themes: the Democratic Party’s identity struggle, the power of energetic progressives to disrupt establishment politics, how Republicans plan to leverage these shifts rhetorically nationwide, and the ongoing importance of “battleground” districts amid rising polarization.

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Useful for Listeners Who Missed the Episode:
If you want to understand why New York’s primaries matter nationally—how emergent left movements, new kingmakers, entrenched establishment interests, and the GOP’s counterattack all intersect—this summary illuminates the stakes and personalities shaping the 2026 midterms.

Transcript

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[Tamara Keith]

It's Tam. And there were big wins last night for congressional candidates backed by New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani. And and there were primaries in Utah and Maryland and a runoff in South Carolina, too. I always love it when we have election results and we've got those on today's pod. So let's get to it. Hey there. It's the NPR Politics podcast. I'm Tamara Keith. I cover politics.

[Elena Moore]

I'm Elena Moore. I also cover politics.

[John Campbell]

And I'm John Campbell from New York Public Radio.

[Tamara Keith]

Today on the show, we're exploring what these primary results tell. Tell us about the direction of the Democratic Party and this November's midterms. So, John, tell us about these races where Mamdani played kingmaker.

[John Campbell]

Yeah, and kingmaker is the right term for it because he made three congressional endorsements and he went three for three. You've got New York 13. That's in upper Manhattan and part of the Bronx. That's where community organizer Darieliza Avila Chevalier ousted a powerful incumbent in Adriano Espaillat, who's the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. This is a race where Mamdani endorsed in the closing weeks of the campaign and seemed to really give a boost to Villachevalier. You've got the 10th district. This is lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. That's where former City Comptroller Brad Lander really took it to Dan Goldman, the incumbent over in Brooklyn and Queens, you've got the 7th district where state assemblymember Claire Valdez won in a three way race. Valdez is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, as is Mehrmandani. So is Darieliza Avila Chevalier. And this was really a moment for Mayor Mamdani to flex his political muscle. I mean, he is a significant figure on the political left and he really cemented his status as that last night, at least in New York City. In these more liberal areas of New York City, he pick candidates that were up against the establishment, you know, two incumbents and a third candidate in Antonio Reynoso in the 7th district that was backed by Nydia Velasquez, the longtime incumbent representative who's retiring. So, yeah, this was really a test of Mehrmamdani's political strength and he came out on top.

[Tamara Keith]

And he celebrated it.

[John Campbell]

Yeah. Mamdani showed up at all three victory parties. And he was really trying to make the case that this is something big.

[Zoran Mamdani]

What you all have shown this evening, whether for State assembly, state Senate, or Congress, is that a year ago, it was not the end of a political movement. It was the beginning.

[Elena Moore]

And, you know, another important thing out of these races is it wasn't just that Mamdani backed candidates that have pretty similar core values to the ones he ran on last year. It's that Mamdani actively broke with Democratic leaders. And New York is important for a lot of reasons. It has the best sports teams in the country and other otherwise. It's also a place where the top Democratic leaders are based. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. They are both based in New York City. That did not stop Mamdani from paving his own path and supporting who he wanted. He actively broke with Jeffries in multiple of these races where Jeffries backed incumbents who lost to Mamdani's preferred candidates. He also broke with longtime progressives that are really revered in the area. I'm thinking of Nydia Velasquez, who is retiring. Mamdani did not support the candidate that she supported. That's pretty politically risky for any politician to do, let alone someone who has only been in office for less than seven months.

[Tamara Keith]

Elena, can you talk about what the issues were in these races?

[Elena Moore]

Yeah. Well, I mean, I think that some of the same divisive issues that are reverberating throughout the Democratic Party around the country were front and center in New York. And that's everything from the role of tech companies and outside groups spending in elections, to views about Israel and how critical to be about Israel's actions in Gaza, to calls for generational change and passing the baton to a next generation of leaders or a more progressive generation of leaders. And literally all of those themes that we've talked about on the POD for months and months and months and maybe years were on display in New York City. You know, we saw that in some of these races where Mom Donnie weighed in. I'm thinking about in New York's 10th congressional district, which is parts of Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. That race was between Dan Goldman, the now outgoing representative, and Brad Lander, the former city comptroller, who had Mamdani's backing. He is not a DSA candidate, but identified as progressive. And a key issue in that race was Israel. These are two men, Lander and Goldman, that are both Jewish, but they talk about their views on Israel differently. Lander considers himself a liberal Zionist. Dan Goldman has ties to aipac. And I thought it was a really nuanced example of how deeply rooted and not black and white this issue is for so many Democrats.

[Tamara Keith]

And obviously that is a big issue. Another issue that we've been talking about a lot in so many primaries is affordability. How did that issue play in these races, John?

[John Campbell]

You know, in these three races in particular, it was an issue, but it seemed to kind of take a backseat to that issue Israel, Gaza situation that Elena was just talking about. And you know, Mayor Mamdani, when he was elected last year, it was on an unrelenting focus on issues of affordability. He was also, you know, very outspoken about the war in Gaza. But, you know, it was affordability, affordability, affordability. It was less of a focus in these three Democratic primaries, but perhaps more of a focus in other areas of the state where there were other primaries that that didn't have, say, a Democratic socialist running in in them. And it was more of a moderate affair.

[Tamara Keith]

Let's go to New York 12, which we talked about a lot on the podcast yesterday. It is a race where there was a lot of AI money involved. It was a very expensive race because the artificial intelligence industry spent a ton of money. John, walk us through that race.

[John Campbell]

Yeah, this is when the dust settles. This is going to be one of, if not the most expensive House primaries in history. I mean, it was not a race that Mermaidani endorsed in despite living in that district in Gracie Mansion. But this is a really, really highly sought after district. It has all of Midtown Manhattan, the Upper east side, the Upper west side, and you're succeeding Jerry Nadler, who was kind of this progressive lion in New York. And you had eight candidates in the race. Michael Lasher came out on top. He's a state assembly member. He was backed by Mayor Bloomberg, who put $10 million into a super PAC supporting him. And he was really more of an establishment figure. But that said, there were a few establishment figures in this race. There wasn't really the DSA backed candidate. This wasn't a race that they really got involved in. But Michael Lasher came out on top. He beat Alex Boris, a fellow State assembly member who was the subject of that AI spending. He passed an AI regulatory bill in Albany last year and just tens of millions of dollars were spent on him, either in support or opposition from various factions of the AI industry. But ultimately it was Lasher who came out on top. He is very much an establishment figure. He worked for Mayor Bloomberg, he worked for Governor Hochul, he worked for Jerry Nadler. So this was one where the establishment came out on top.

[Elena Moore]

New York 12 is a good example of something we've seen in other, like, very, very blue districts around the country, which is when a longtime Democrat decides to pass the baton, it seems like the party doesn't exactly know what to do. You know, I think we saw that in Chicago in a lot of districts where there were longtime liberal members who have decided to step down after decades. And we saw these races of like dozens hungry to step up. And we saw that, I think in this district where there was really a slew of names from obviously Boris and Lasher. But then you also literally had the grandson of John F. Kennedy running Jack Schlossberg. You had George Conway, who's the ex husband of Kellyanne Conway, the former Trump advisor. And you know, on top of that, I would just say it's another example where we saw this idea of name recognition kind of like not being as big of a deal as maybe it could seem to be, because in the end, this ended up going to the establishment pick, which is a rarity in yesterday's races when you look at who won elsewhere.

[Tamara Keith]

John, can we turn further upstate and talk about the Republican side of the coin? We have New York 21, which has been represented for quite some time by Elise Stefanik, congresswoman who had close ties first to establishment Republicans and then later to President Trump. She ultimately decided not to run again and there was a fight to replace her. And it was sort of a MAGA versus establishment fight.

[John Campbell]

Yeah. And this is kind of the opposite end of the spectrum of the Mamdani as kingmaker debate or discussion, I should say, because this is one where President Trump as kingmaker really played a big role here. He backed a man named Anthony Constantino. He is a businessman. A few years ago, he came out really pro Trump to the point where he put up a huge Vote for Trump sign on his building in Amsterdam, New York. It's visible from the highway. I mean, you can't miss this thing. So he had a statue of Trump made. He made an album of all these pro Trump songs. And it really seemed designed to get Donald Trump's attention. And it worked. Donald Trump endorsed him and that really put him over the top against Robert Smolin, who's a State assembly member who ran a more low key campaign, certainly not as flashy. And this is, you know, Constantino came out ahead and defeated the candidate that was favored by the New York establishment Republicans. And he's gonna be running against a Democrat by the name of Blake Gendaby. And this is one where Democrats are hoping maybe they can flip. But this is a district that has gone pretty red the last several cycles.

[Tamara Keith]

Yeah. And that had been a relatively purplish district, but in recent years has gotten very red. All right. We're going to take a quick break. We will have more in a moment about what this all means for the future of the Democratic Party.

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[Tamara Keith]

And we're back. And there's one more race that we are following that is in New York's 17th congressional district. Representative Mike Lawler is the Republican congressman who represents that district. It is considered to be one of the best pickup opportunities for Democrats in this midterm season. John, tell us about the race to take on Lawlor.

[John Campbell]

Yeah, this was a really crowded primary. It was a five way primary for the right to take on Mike Lawler in November. And this district is very different from those New York liberal districts that we were talking about earlier. This is in the New York City suburbs. It's got Westchester county, part of Westchester County, Rockland County. And this is more of a purple district. This is more of a toss up district. Kate Connolly is a military veteran. She's got degrees from MIT and Harvard. She was a counterterrorism official in the Biden administration. She came out on top. She defeated Beth Davidson, who is a local county lawmaker and some more progressive challengers in Effie Phillips Staley. And this is one where a moderate came out on top. Kate Connelly is more moderate than a lot of those candidates we were talking about earlier that Mermaidani backed. And this is going to be a tight race. It is, as you said, one of the biggest Democratic pickup opportunities in the country. However, it was two years ago too, and Mike Lawler came out on top. And two years before that he defeated Sean Patrick Maloney, who was the head of the DCCC at the time. Mike Lawler is a formidable opponent here. There's a Democratic enrollment edge, but the district has shown to, to vote more in a purple manner than, than perhaps the enrollment numbers suggest.

[Tamara Keith]

And President Trump recently campaigned with Lawler, which I thought was incredibly interesting because it is such a purple district and because he has at many times tried to distance himself at least a little bit. He's not one of the candidates hugging the president.

[Elena Moore]

Oh, yeah, this is like totally a double edged sword for Lawler because he both needs to keep his support with Trump, but he also needs to show New Yorkers who might not be happy with the state of the country in Trump's second term that he understands their pain here. So, you know, it's really interesting looking at New York City and comparing it to this race because, you know, the issues are being talked about differently, but they are still similar issues, which is there is widespread economic strife, financial concern about, you know, affordability. And Lawler is going to have to toe a line here that most other lawmakers in this country do not have

[Tamara Keith]

to tow, because most other lawmakers in this country are not in districts that where there's any suspense about what way it's gonna go because there's so much partisan polarization at this point in the way districts are drawn.

[Elena Moore]

Right. Which is why we spend so much time talking about these intraparty fights and primaries, because the way that most maps are drawn these days, that's where the conversation is. But Lawler is a rare example of an actually competitive general election matchup.

[John Campbell]

And just like Kate Connelly is going to try to do everything she can to tie Mike Lawler to Donald Trump, Mike Lawler is going to do everything he can to tie Kate Connelly to these Democratic socialists that just won because that won't play as well in his district. That's a long time part of the playbook from New York Republicans and I wouldn't be surprised to see it played here as well.

[Tamara Keith]

Oh, and let me just say this is not just going to be a message in one swing district in New York. This is going to be literally the Republican message in these midterms. More broadly, they are going to paint the Democratic Party as the Democratic Socialist Party. And you saw that already today. Speaker Mike Johnson held a press conference at the Capitol.

[Speaker Mike Johnson]

You've been hearing me say for weeks, there are many Mamdanis popping up all around the country. It is a dangerous thing. This is not a joke. We are in a fight right now to save the republic. And every American needs to take this seriously. You need to wake up. This upcoming midterm election is not the midterm elections of years ago. This is going to decide the direction of the country. Are we going to maintain our status as a constitutional Republic on our 250th anniversary? Are we going to make a new choice and go down some road towards a communist utopia?

[Elena Moore]

I mean, that's a striking message from the speaker of the House because he is often a lot more chipper, which he acknowledged in his press conference, that this is kind of a break from him rhetorically. But I do think it's important to say, like, it's not new that the GOP is attacking this wing of the party. I mean, AOC Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, also a New York City representative, and other more progressive and Democratic socialist leaders have been the focus of the gop and this idea of the left moving towards extremism for years. I think the winds last night kind of crystallized that message. Revamp that message, give new energy to that message, but it's not necessarily a new one, which I think is important to mention.

[Tamara Keith]

Yes, it. It is not necessarily new. And at times, it has been very effective for President Trump and his party to say, like, whoa, whoa, whoa, Democrats have gone too far. They are too liberal. They are. They are pushing ideas that don't represent you. Middle America.

[Elena Moore]

Well, it's also partially why we are spending so much time talking about New York City and the primaries. Because, yes, this is a very, very small portion of the country, United States electorate, but it has a lot of national attention. And I think regardless of whether Mamdani's policies and those he supports, policies reflect a broader electorate, the Republican Party is going to argue that it does or that it could. And I think that's why we need to keep tabs on it, because this is a message that has a lot of attention right now.

[Tamara Keith]

Yeah. And I do want to pull out a little bit and at the same time, talk about a race in Utah. There's this newly redrawn house district 1. It is left leaning there in the Democratic primary. Former representative Ben McAdams, he won. He's a moderate and beat a number of other candidates to represent the Salt Lake City area. He does face a Republican in November. And one last thing before we go, another result. In South Carolina, there was a runoff for the Republican nomination for governor and Attorney General Allen Wilson. One, he beat Lieutenant Governor Pamela Yvette in that runoff. The funny part of this is that President Trump had initially endorsed Yvette. And then when the both of them made it to the runoff and the president read the writing on the wall and saw that it looked like Wilson was going to win, Trump posted on social media that he would be endorsing both of them. So heads up, I win, tails you, you lose. He's always a winner. And we'll leave it there for now. I'm Tamara Keith. I cover politics.

[Elena Moore]

I'm Elena Moore. I also cover politics.

[John Campbell]

And I'm John Campbell from New York Public Radio.

[Tamara Keith]

And thank you for listening to the NPR Politics podcast.

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