Skip to main content
5 min read

Israel's cheerleaders lost big in the New York primary

Lander won his primary after criticizing Israel and Goldman’s AIPAC affiliation.

Israel's cheerleaders lost big in the New York primary
Image · The Forward

SOURCE CHECK

TAP FOR WHY
Outlet credibilityThe Forward77/100 HIGH
This article1 analysis · Oct 5, 2026
Jun 24, 2026
tl;dr

An opinion column argues that pro-Israel campaigning against progressive candidates helped make Israel a central issue in New York’s Democratic primaries and may have backfired. Brad Lander and Darializa Avila Chevalier won their contests, while the column also notes a contrasting result in Maryland.

Community verdict

VOTING CLOSED
How does this story look for
Brad Lander D · NY
NOT RATEDCLOSED

No good or bad look here

This story reports what happened without casting Lander in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Lander’s record.

● INFORMATIONAL

People in this story

SWIPE →

New York House candidate who defeated Rep. Dan Goldman in a Democratic primary

PRIMARY SUBJECT

New York House candidate who defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat in a Democratic primary

Avila Chevalier's version of this story ↗

New York House candidate who won a crowded Democratic primary

Keith Ellison
Former U.S. Representative (D-MN)

Minnesota politician mentioned in a comparison to an earlier Democratic National Committee race

Andy Levin
Former U.S. Representative (D-MI)

Former Michigan representative mentioned as a comparison to earlier campaign coverage

Maryland House candidate who won a Democratic primary

New York representative and Brad Lander’s primary opponent

New York representative defeated by Darializa Avila Chevalier in a primary

ALSO MENTIONED  Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayor whose endorsements supported candidates in the primaries; Jerry Nadler, Former New York representative whose seat was contested in a primary

Part of a bigger story

19 OUTLETS
Mamdani-Endorsed Candidates Win New York Congressional Primaries

Outlets agree that Brad Lander, endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, defeated Rep. Daniel Goldman in the 10th District Democratic primary; other Mamdani-backed candidates also won New York congressional primaries. Left-leaning outlets present the results as progressive victories over party establishment politics, with particular attention to pro-Israel lobbying. Center outlets largely frame the wins as a test of Mamdani’s influence and Democratic Party direction, while some focus on Israel-related politics. Right-leaning outlets emphasize the gains as a challenge to Democratic leaders and scrutinize the candidates’ socialist labels and positions on Israel.

Discussion · 0

What's your take?

Loading comments…