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Progressives Are Winning Big. Here’s How We Keep It Up.

Some lessons from the triumphant New York City primaries.

A “Dream Team” shirt featuring images of Darializa Avila Chevalier, Brad Lander, Zohran Mamdani, and Claire Valdez, outside a polling location in New York on June 23, 2026.

This week, New York City beat the odds again. A year after Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s historic primary win, a new wave of progressive candidates swept the city, shattering long-standing conventions regarding what an elected official should look like or stand for. 

Aber Kawas, a fellow Bay Ridge, Brooklyn native whom I have been proud to mentor, is on her way to becoming the first Palestinian American elected to the New York State Senate. Darializa Avila Chevalier, who helped organize Columbia University’s encampments protesting the Gaza genocide, is now poised to represent the university in Congress. Brad Lander, a Jewish candidate who pledged to co-sponsor the Block the Bombs Act, restricting military aid to Israel, unseated two-term congressman Dan Goldman. And Claire Valdez, who inspired voters with her appetite for championing big, bold domestic and foreign policy changes, is also heading to the House of Representatives. And that’s just a partial tally; strong progressive candidates won big in elections at every single level of government.

Many people were absolutely shocked by the scale of these victories. I wasn’t—because I know what it took to get here. I’ve seen a narrative play out in some circles online, alleging that gentrifiers (code for privileged white newcomers) should get the credit for New York City’s primary wins. This narrative erases the many native New Yorkers, communities of color, and working-class people who backed these candidates. I’ve worked with hundreds of these volunteers over the years, and I am one of them. 

I’ve spent the last 25 years as a part of this movement, beginning with my early days helping to organize Muslim and Arab communities in New York City and co-founding the city’s Muslim Democratic Club. A decade ago, I founded MPower Change andMPower Action to take that work national, registering and mobilizing tens of thousands of voters across the country through our nonpartisan My Muslim Vote campaign. 

The results of this movement are plain to see. Muslim Americans – who comprise a mosaic of racial and ethnic identities – are registering to vote in increasing numbers, and many more are running for office as part of a larger multiracial progressive coalition that is challenging the status quo We are fueled by a desire to challenge decades of U.S. policies that have disproportionately harmed our communities: ICE raids, travel bans, racial profiling, and support for Israel’s ongoing genocide in Palestine and terrorizing of families across the region. 

As we dive deeper into the 2026 midterms and dip our toes in the 2028 presidential race, these fights will only become more important. On Saturday, thousands of us will gather in Washington, DC, to mark America’s........

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