Democratic Incumbents Fall as Socialists Surge in New York

Democratic Socialists just swept three New York congressional primaries — and a DSA leader is now warning the party establishment: “Don’t even try it. We control these areas.”

Story Snapshot

Three Democratic Socialist of America-backed candidates beat two sitting congressmembers in New York primaries on June 23, 2026, doubling the DSA’s bloc in Congress to four members.
Brad Lander crushed incumbent Dan Goldman by 30 points. Claire Valdez won by 20. Darializa Avila Chevalier unseated five-term incumbent Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Hispanic Caucus, by 3.3 points.
DSA candidates won despite facing $9.6 million in Super PAC spending against them — nearly five times what was spent in 2024.
A DSA leader declared a “democratic socialist mandate” in New York City, while critics warn the movement’s positions on abolishing police, borders, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement could hurt Democrats in competitive districts.

Three Races, Three Socialist Wins

On June 23, 2026, New York City’s Democratic primary delivered a major shock to the party establishment. All three congressional candidates endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani won their races. Brad Lander beat incumbent Dan Goldman by 30 points in the 10th District. Claire Valdez won the open 7th District seat by 20 points. Darializa Avila Chevalier unseated five-term incumbent Adriano Espaillat — chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus — in the 13th District.^[3]

The wins doubled the Democratic Socialists of America’s (DSA) congressional bloc from two members to four.^[4] The DSA also expanded its footprint in Albany. Eight of its nine endorsed state legislative candidates advanced to the general election, growing the socialist bloc in the New York state legislature to 14 — the largest in state history.^[9] Super PACs spent $9.6 million against DSA candidates in state races, nearly five times the 2024 total, yet the candidates won anyway.^[1]

Mamdani’s Machine Flexes Its Muscle

Mayor Mamdani, himself a democratic socialist elected in 2025, mobilized roughly 100,000 campaign volunteers to knock on doors in districts that were once seen as unfriendly to socialist candidates.^[11] The strategy worked. After the results came in, a DSA leader declared that “more than three million New Yorkers are now represented by socialists at multiple levels of government.” He warned party insiders: “Don’t even try it. We control these areas.”^[10] Senator Bernie Sanders celebrated the wins and joined the DSA in sending a clear message to Democratic Party leadership.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made a last-minute campaign stop in Manhattan before the vote to try to save incumbent Espaillat. It didn’t work.^[11] The losses exposed a deep split between the party’s corporate-aligned leadership — Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — and its left-wing base.^[12] The DSA’s co-governance plan calls for working alongside Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the federal level as its new members take office.^[13]

Big Wins, Bigger Questions

The victories are real, but so are the risks. Avila Chevalier’s past social media posts calling for abolishing police, prisons, and borders drew immediate attention. CNN commentator Van Jones noted that Republicans could use those posts to hurt Democrats in swing districts.^[5] Valdez has called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement. These are not mainstream positions in competitive states, and critics from both parties say the DSA’s rise could cost Democrats seats they need to win back the House.

DSA’s next congressional target is Colorado.

After high-profile wins in New York, the movement is now backing Melat Kiros, a DSA member running for Congress in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District.

But Kiros is not just another progressive challenger. Her campaign is built… pic.twitter.com/Z2C2mExdOY

— Canary Mission (@canarymission) June 28, 2026

The broader picture is one most Americans on both the left and right can recognize: a political party’s rank-and-file voters are openly rejecting the leaders their party keeps putting in front of them. Whether you cheer or fear the DSA’s rise, the message from New York voters is hard to ignore. Establishment Democrats — backed by millions in outside money — lost badly to first-time candidates and grassroots organizers. That’s not just a New York story. It’s a warning about what happens when a party stops listening to the people it claims to represent.^[18]