I’m writing this from the East Bay in California, but all eyes are on New York. The question going into last night was whether Zohran Mamdani was a kingmaker. The answer appears to be yes. Mamdani backed three candidates running against Democratic incumbents in safe Democratic seats: Claire Valdez, Brad Lander, and Darializa Avila Chevalier. All three are headed to the general election, and given New York City’s voter registration balance, all three are likely headed to Congress. The biggest surprise was Chevalier’s victory over Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Adriano Espaillat. I thought she would give him a run for his money. Turns out, she ran with his money. The result underscores how weak the Democratic establishment machine appears to be in New York. The DSA can find, identify, and turn out voters. The machine cannot.
