Voters in New York, Maryland, Utah and South Carolina headed to the polls Tuesday in a set of primaries testing the reach of outside money, party establishment politics, and the competing factions now pulling at the Democratic Party.
The most closely watched question in New York is whether Mayor Zohran Mamdani can extend his political movement beyond his own 2025 mayoral campaign and into Congress. The 34-year-old democratic socialist is not on the ballot himself, but he has endorsed challengers against three incumbent House Democrats in New York City, according to CNBC.
Mamdani endorsed Darializa Avila Chevalier against Rep. Adriano Espaillat in New York's 13th District, former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander against Rep. Dan Goldman in the 10th, and Assemblywoman Claire Valdez in the race to replace retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez in the 7th. Espaillat is chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and a close ally of House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The endorsements have created friction inside Mamdani's own coalition. Velázquez was an early Mamdani supporter who broke with him over his backing of Valdez. Labor unions, Latino leaders and some progressives have also pushed back against his decision to challenge incumbents and longtime allies.
A Honan Strategy Group survey found that only 63% of New York City Democratic voters view the party favorably, while 35% view it unfavorably. Half said electing a younger, more progressive generation willing to challenge the establishment is a top priority in this year's primaries. The poll also found that 43% of Democratic voters in the city called primary challenges to incumbents such as Espaillat healthy for the party, compared with 13% who called them a divisive distraction.
Mamdani is betting that Democratic voters are more open to disruption than party leaders think. A strong showing from his endorsed candidates Tuesday would demonstrate that his political network can survive and operate independently of his own name on a ballot.
In Manhattan's 12th District, Democrats are choosing a nominee to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler in one of the safest blue seats in the country. The crowded field includes Assemblymen Alex Bores and Micah Lasher, along with Jack Schlossberg, a grandson of President John F. Kennedy. Bores' record on artificial intelligence regulation, and the outside money surrounding it, has turned the race into a national proxy fight over how aggressively Democrats should regulate one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy.
Upstate, a Republican primary to replace Rep. Elise Stefanik will test whether a Trump endorsement can overpower the local GOP establishment. In Maryland, Democrats are choosing a successor to former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, while Rep. April McClain Delaney faces a self-funded challenge from former Rep. David Trone. In Utah, new House maps have scrambled primaries in both parties.
Results from Tuesday's races will offer the clearest picture yet of Mamdani's ability to reshape the Democratic congressional delegation in New York and of the party's appetite for internal challenge heading into the November general elections.
