With Monday marking the last full day of campaigning before New York’s congressional primary, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s progressive slate faces high-stakes tests—from a Kennedy-family bid in Manhattan to a Silicon Valley-style fight over AI regulation—while other
On Monday, New York’s congressional hopefuls are using their final full day of campaigning to try to break through in primaries that have drawn national attention—especially for what they could signal about Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s growing political reach.
Across multiple districts. his slate of three House candidates is carrying the weight of a citywide question: can the young democratic socialist who electrified supporters last year reshape the makeup of New York’s congressional delegation?. Mamdani has been pushing hard to amplify his picks. lending his star power to campaign videos and hosting a rally last week with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders aimed at boosting his slate right 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.
For voters, the final stretch is sharp not just in message, but in contrast—progressive urgency against Democratic establishment experience, and brand-name politics against more policy-driven battles.
In one of the most closely watched races, Jack Schlossberg, 33, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, is seeking election to represent part of Manhattan. His campaign is leaning on family connections and a large social media following. betting that name recognition can translate into votes in a crowded Democratic field.
Schlossberg’s bid is running headlong into a well-organized opposition. Alex Bores. a state Assembly member. is at the center of a Silicon Valley spending war over his proposals to regulate artificial intelligence. Another challenger. Micah Lasher. also a state Assembly member. brings 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 became one of the president’s critics. is also running.
In the closing stretch, Schlossberg has been rallying with David Letterman, former host of “The Late Show with David Letterman.” His mother, Caroline Kennedy, cut a campaign ad for him.
Lasher hit the street to meet voters. Bores, meanwhile, released an ad about the dangers of AI and has sought to highlight that Big Tech players are spending millions of dollars to oppose his run.
Mamdani has not made an endorsement in that particular race, a decision that leaves the contest defined more by its candidates’ competing styles and constituencies than by the mayor’s direct stamp of approval.
While Manhattan’s primary is testing whether celebrity and legacy still move Democratic voters, Mamdani’s clout is taking shape in other districts through endorsements and campaign positioning.
Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist whose campaign has been buoyed by the mayor’s support, is challenging U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat. Espaillat, first Dominican American elected to Congress, represents a district that includes northern Manhattan and part of the Bronx.
Avila Chevalier’s campaign has had to contend with scrutiny over inflammatory social media posts she made in her 20s. which have been used to portray her as an unserious candidate. In a recent debate. Avila Chevalier said she regretted the posts and apologized for one crass post about former Vice President Kamala Harris.
In another contest that includes embattled incumbents. Mamdani endorsed former city Comptroller Brad Lander as he seeks to unseat U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman, a fellow Democrat. Lander appeared in the crowd at a City Hall ceremony on Thursday celebrating the Knicks’ NBA championship win. a moment that helped underscore how aligned he is with the mayor’s momentum.
Goldman, who did not endorse Mamdani in his mayoral race, has tried to keep the focus on his own work in Congress rather than on Mamdani’s influence.
Mamdani is also backing Claire Valdez, a former state Assembly colleague and democratic socialist ally, in her bid to defeat Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. The race is to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez.
Reynoso and Valdez are both progressives who share many similar views, but Valdez has framed herself as a potential Mamdani ally in Washington, a pitch aimed at turning shared ideology into a clearer political path.
For voters, the last day of campaigning is more than just a final burst of ads and door knocks. It’s a high-pressure moment to decide whether Mamdani’s progressive energy can translate into institutional power—or whether established Democratic networks and candidate-specific advantages will still win out in New York’s congressional primaries.
New York congressional primary Zohran Mamdani Bernie Sanders Jack Schlossberg Caroline Kennedy Alex Bores Micah Lasher George Conway Adriano Espaillat Darializa Avila Chevalier Brad Lander Dan Goldman Claire Valdez Antonio Reynoso Nydia Velazquez AI regulation