Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is projected to unseat incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman in New York's 10th Congressional District Democratic primary, according to early returns. The victory represents a significant win for the progressive wing of the party, bolstered by endorsements from Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Lander's Progressive Platform and Contrast with Goldman
Lander, a longtime progressive, campaigned on a platform that includes abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, instituting Medicare for All, building new housing, and pausing U.S. aid to Israel. He criticized Goldman as too moderate and too accommodating of the Israeli government. “It’s time to elect Democrats who’ll fight, not fold, against the forces of authoritarianism & corporate greed,” Lander wrote on social media after casting an early ballot.
Goldman, an heir of Levi Strauss, was endorsed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Gov. Kathy Hochul, and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Goldman acknowledged that AIPAC's support may have hurt his campaign. The race became a proxy for U.S. support of Israel, with Lander calling Israel's actions in Gaza a “genocide” and advocating for pausing military aid.
Endorsements and Coalition Building
Lander's win also marks a victory for Mayor Mamdani, a democratic socialist who campaigned for Lander and other left-wing candidates. Lander and Mamdani co-endorsed each other during last year's mayoral primary, where Lander finished third behind Mamdani and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Goldman declined to endorse Mamdani even after he became the Democratic nominee. Lander launched his congressional campaign in December, securing endorsements from Mamdani, Sanders, and other progressives.
District Demographics and Implications
New York's 10th Congressional District, covering lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, is among the most Jewish districts in the country, with over 20% of residents Jewish. Both Lander and Goldman are Jewish. By backing Lander, who advertised he would not be “doing AIPAC's bidding,” voters chose to expand the ranks of Democrats willing to check Israel, including by withholding aid. “If people want someone who is really going to fight to end Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, to make it so that Jewish New Yorkers and Muslim New Yorkers can work together instead of be divided from each other, and try to address the failures of U.S. foreign policy, the choice is clear,” Lander said at a recent debate.
