New York's congressional candidates make final case in last day before
primary
[June 22, 2026]
By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE
NEW YORK (AP) — New York's congressional candidates have a final chance
to make their case Monday on the last full day of campaigning before a
primary election in which an ascendant progressive left is taking on
establishment Democrats.
The races have become bellwethers of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's political
clout, testing whether the young democratic socialist can leverage
excitement he ignited last year to reshape the city's congressional
delegation.
And he has been working hard to promote his slate of three House
candidates, lending his star power to several campaign videos, along
with hosting a rally with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders last week to boost
his picks just before the election.
“The party of the past will not be what leads us into the future. We
need a Democratic Party with backbone,” Mamdani said.
Meanwhile, in another closely watched race, Jack Schlossberg, the
33-year-old grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, is hoping to
ride his family ties and big social media following to a seat in
Congress representing part of Manhattan.
But the Kennedy scion is facing strong opposition from Alex Bores, a
state Assembly member at the center of a Silicon Valley spending war
over his proposals to regulate artificial intelligence, and Micah
Lasher, another state Assembly member who has deep experience in New
York government and is backed by many of the state’s Democratic leaders.
George Conway, an attorney who was once married to a top Trump adviser
but later become one of the president’s critics, is also in the race.
In his campaign's closing stretch, Schlossberg rallied with David
Letterman, former host of the “The Late Show with David Letterman.” His
mother, Caroline Kennedy, cut a campaign ad for him. Lasher hit the
street to meet voters. Bores releasing an ad about the dangers of AI and
worked to highlight the millions of dollars that Big Tech players are
spending to oppose his run.
Mamdani has not made an endorsement in that race.
Instead, he's focused on three other congressional contests, including
two featuring embattled incumbents.
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Democratic congressional candidates, Claire Valdez, Brad Lander, and
Darializa Avila Chevalier gesture on stage with Mayor Zohran Mamdani
during a Get Out The Vote rally ahead of New York's primary
election, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in the Brooklyn borough of New
York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist whose campaign has
been buoyed by the mayor’s support, is challenging U.S. Rep. Adriano
Espaillat, who was the first Dominican American elected to Congress
in a district that includes northern Manhattan and part of the
Bronx.
Espaillat has drawn attention to inflammatory social media posts
Avila Chevalier made in her 20s, attempting to portray her as an
unserious candidate. Avila Chevalier, in a recent debate, said she
regretted the posts and apologized for one crass post about former
Vice President Kamala Harris.
Former city Comptroller Brad Lander got the mayor's endorsement in
his attempt to unseat U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman, a fellow Democrat.
Lander, who appeared in the crowd at a joyous City Hall ceremony
celebrating the Knick's NBA championship win on Thursday, has worked
to play up his alliance with the mayor, while Goldman, who did not
endorse Mamdani in his mayoral race, has tried to shift the
conversation to his own productiveness in Congress.
Mamdani is also supporting Claire Valdez, a former state Assembly
colleague and democratic socialist ally, in her bid to defeat
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in the race to succeed
retiring U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez.
Reynoso and Valdez are both progressives who share many similar
views, though Valdez has framed herself as a potential Mamdani ally
in Washington.
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