In June, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani rallied voters to support three progressive congressional candidates hoping to build on his momentum. Claire Valdez, Brad Lander, and Darializa Avila Chevalier subsequently won their Democratic primaries, positioning themselves for victory in the midterm elections within their heavily Democratic districts.
Unique Paths and Platforms
The three candidates share platforms advocating for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an end to US military aid to Israel, and the creation of a Medicare for All public healthcare system, though their political backgrounds differ. Brad Lander served as New York City comptroller and lost the 2025 Democratic mayoral primary to Mamdani before endorsing him. His congressional race against incumbent Dan Goldman focused heavily on Israel and Palestine, with Lander viewing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocide while identifying as a Zionist supporting pro-Palestinian activism. Weeks before the election, Israeli forces detained Lander in the West Bank during an olive harvest and revoked his travel documents.
Darializa Avila Chevalier, a community organiser who unseated Congressman Adriano Espaillat, shaped her political outlook around immigration and Palestinian rights after interning at a youth organisation in Nablus in 2014. Her platform, “Babies Not Bombs,” seeks to redirect military spending toward domestic priorities like childcare and healthcare. Claire Valdez transitioned from a union organiser to the New York State Assembly and secured the nomination to succeed retiring Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez with the backing of the Democratic Socialists of America. Valdez campaigns on stronger labour protections, including the PRO Act, national rent control, and government-run healthcare.
Legislative Priorities and Strategy
Achieving ambitious goals like abolishing ICE and ending military aid to Israel will require navigating competing interests in Congress and the White House. Progressive political strategist Nomiki Konst suggested that the newcomers look for immediate wins comparable to Mayor Mamdani’s early municipal actions. Lander suggested banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks to restore trust and pushing to restore expired government subsidies that raised private insurance premiums. Avila Chevalier aims to pursue her “Babies Not Bombs” agenda, while Valdez wants to pass the PRO Act.
Following the precedent of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who won her seat in 2018 and occasionally collaborated with Republicans such as introducing legislation with Representative Anna Paulina Luna to cap credit card interest rates, the new candidates will need to determine how to translate ideology into results. Avila Chevalier recently faced scrutiny after calling for the resignation of New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch following an ICE shooting incident, stating she was later shoved by police during protests. Despite potential tensions regarding Tisch’s appointment, Avila Chevalier told Al Jazeera she is willing to collaborate with anyone to advance shared issues like healthcare transformation and data moratoriums, stating that organising involves meeting people where they are.
