New York Jewish Week via JTA  — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrated the victories of the three progressive candidates he endorsed in New York’s Democratic primaries, describing their success as a “shift in the balance of power.”

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the morning after primary elections in the city, Mamdani touted the triumphs as a shift in favor of “working people” and away from “special interests.”

Mamdani-endorsed candidates Brad Lander, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez won Democratic nominations for Congress in deep blue districts, virtually assuring their elections in November. All three beat more moderate opponents, including two who defeated incumbent congressmen endorsed by the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC.

During the press conference, the mayor repeatedly highlighted their calls to halt US military aid to Israel and redirect federal funding to domestic priorities.

“The working person is struggling in our city to afford basic needs,” Mamdani said, adding that Avila Chevalier’s oft-repeated slogan of investing in “babies not bombs” is “the kind of conscience, the kind of clarity, the kind of conviction that has been missing in our politics for far too long.”

The victories offered an early demonstration of Mamdani’s political influence beyond City Hall, as multiple fellow Democratic Socialist candidates he backed, including Avila Chevalier, won their races.

Following the mayor’s election........

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