New York voters went to the polls on June 23, 2026, to choose party nominees within their assigned parties for federal, state, and local offices. This election drew national attention because high-profile congressional races were expected to reveal which direction voters wanted the Democratic Party to move in the years ahead.
The results were a major win for Mamdani’s political movement. All three of his endorsed congressional candidates won their Democratic primaries: Brad Lander defeated incumbent Dan Goldman, Claire Valdez won an open-seat race, and Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated incumbent Adriano Espaillat.
These victories showed that many Democratic primary voters in New York City were willing to support progressive candidates closely aligned with Mamdani, underscoring his strong influence on the Democratic Party. Several of the winning candidates campaigned on NYC-focused issues, such as housing affordability, economic reform, and other policies associated with the city.
At the same time, the results didn’t mean that Mamdani’s allies won every race. Other Democratic candidates not associated with him also won important primaries, including moderate and center-left candidates in competitive suburban districts, showing that the party remains divided among ideological groups.
Republicans also held primary elections across the state. One notable result was Anthony Constantino’s victory in the Republican primary for New York’s 21st Congressional District. But most media coverage focused on the Democratic races because of the defeat of incumbents and the growing influence of Mamdani-backed candidates.
Overall, this election will give voters a narrow step to nominate who they think best suits the position they are running for.
