Key facts
- New York congressional candidates are making their final campaign efforts before a primary election.
- The primary races are seen as a measure of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's political clout.
- Mamdani is actively supporting three House candidates.
- Jack Schlossberg, grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, is a candidate in a Manhattan district.
- George Conway, an attorney and critic of Donald Trump, is also running in Schlossberg's district.
New York's congressional candidates are making their final appeals to voters on the last full day of campaigning before Tuesday's primary election. The races are being closely watched as a test of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's political influence and his ability to leverage excitement from his mayoral win last year to reshape the city's congressional delegation.
Mamdani has been actively promoting his slate of three House candidates, appearing in campaign videos and hosting a rally with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. He stated, "The party of the past will not be what leads us into the future. We need a Democratic Party with backbone."
In one of the most closely watched contests, Jack Schlossberg, 33, grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, is seeking a congressional seat representing part of Manhattan. He faces competition from state Assembly members Alex Bores, who has focused on regulating artificial intelligence, and Micah Lasher, who has significant New York government experience and backing from state Democratic leaders. George Conway, an attorney and former critic of Donald Trump, is also in this race.
Mamdani has not endorsed in the Schlossberg race but is supporting other candidates. Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist, is challenging U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat in a district including northern Manhattan and the Bronx. Espaillat has highlighted past social media posts by Avila Chevalier, who has apologized for some of them. Former city Comptroller Brad Lander received Mamdani's endorsement in his bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman. Mamdani is also backing Claire Valdez in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez.