Key facts
- Zohran Mamdani's three endorsed candidates won their respective House primary contests in New York.
- Rep. Dan Goldman and Rep. Adriano Espaillat were among the incumbents who lost their primaries.
- President Trump issued a dual endorsement in the South Carolina gubernatorial runoff, which Alan Wilson won.
- Pro-AI industry groups supported candidates who lost in a New York congressional primary race.
- The primary results indicate a potential appetite for democratic socialist and progressive candidates.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's political influence was tested and affirmed on Tuesday as all three of his endorsed candidates secured victories in House primary contests. Democratic socialist candidates Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier, along with progressive former mayoral candidate Brad Lander, clinched wins. Avila Chevalier notably ousted Rep. Adriano Espaillat, and Lander defeated Rep. Dan Goldman. These victories place Mamdani at odds with some key allies in New York and Washington, including Governor Kathy Hochul and House Democratic leadership, who had backed opposing candidates.
Meanwhile, in South Carolina, President Trump successfully hedged his bets in a Republican runoff for governor. After initially endorsing Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, he later issued a dual endorsement for both Evette and state Attorney General Alan Wilson, who ultimately won the race. This move aimed to preserve Trump's primary track record after recent losses for his endorsed candidates in Iowa and Georgia.
In a New York congressional race for retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler's seat, pro-AI industry groups celebrated the loss of Alex Bores, an assemblymember who supported AI safety regulations. These groups, including those backed by Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI's Greg Brockman, spent significantly against Bores. The outcome is seen as a win for the pro-AI industry, which has experienced mixed results in primary contests this cycle.
The primary elections also saw a significant shake-up in New York's congressional delegation, with the losses of incumbents Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat. Goldman, who served as lead counsel in Trump's first impeachment trial, was defeated by Lander. Espaillat, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, was ousted by Avila Chevalier. These defeats, alongside the retirements of Reps. Nydia Velazquez and Nadler, signal a potential shift towards generational change and a stronger appetite for democratic socialist and progressive candidates within the Democratic party.