Democratic socialists battle progressives in New York House primaries

A pair of Democratic House primaries in New York City are pitting liberals against leftists as a pair of democratic socialists battle against progressive candidates Tuesday.  

Democratic socialist candidates Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier, who are both endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, are running against liberal candidates Antonio Reynoso and Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) in contests roiled by special interest money and divides over Israel.

The races have showcased fault lines between the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the left wing of the Democratic Party, placing Mamdani on the opposite side of some of his fellow progressives in Albany and on Capitol Hill. 

“What we are trying to drive home is that we don’t need more people with just good ideas in office,” Grauce Mausser, NYC-DSA co-chair, told The Hill. 

“There are a lot of people in Congress who have good ideas. There are a lot of people who identify as progressive,” she said. “There are not a lot of people who are committed not only to organizing their colleagues in Congress, but to building up a movement outside of Congress in order to truly shift and change political conditions.”

The fight over the direction of the party’s left flank has taken center stage in New York this election cycle with democratic socialists looking to capitalize on a slew of recent electoral victories in the Big Apple in addition to cities like Seattle and Washington, D.C.  

The winners of Tuesday’s primary contests are expected to easily win their general elections in November, given the city’s........

© The Hill