The Democratic party seems more united than it has been in years, thanks to one man: Donald Trump. Opposition to his presidency has papered over what would otherwise be serious disagreements about economic policy, civil liberties, foreign affairs, and the role of corporate money in politics.

As long as Democrats can point to Trump as the common enemy, their coalition holds, and the ideological conflicts that once defined the party during the 2016 primary or the battles over the Gaza genocide during the Joe Biden years now feel like a thing of the past. But those divisions haven’t disappeared – and in New York’s 10th congressional district, they’re beginning to surface again.

Representative Dan Goldman is facing a primary challenge from former New York City comptroller Brad Lander. Goldman launched his re-election campaign on the fifth anniversary of January 6, and his pitch was built almost entirely around his role leading the first impeachment inquiry against Trump.

Lander, for his part, is a veteran organizer with years in city government. Both candidates would call themselves progressives. Both are running against Trump. Ultimately, the primary will decide if being “anti-Trump” is a complete job description or just the bare minimum for Democrats.

Across the party, there is a growing divide between Democrats whose opposition to Trump is essentially defensive, aimed at preserving norms and institutions, and those who see the Trump era as a reason to challenge concentrated wealth, the security state, and the corporate power that shapes both parties. The first group tends to be wealthier and more comfortable with the pre-Trump status quo. The second wants to use the........

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