WASHINGTON — A trio of victories by candidates who ran to the left of the Democratic establishment on Israel in New York's congressional primaries Tuesday offered a boost for pro-Palestinian voices within the party, even as its top leaders remain supportive of Israel.

What happened: Several candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani prevailed after running campaigns that were markedly more critical of Israel than those of the incumbents they challenged.

In New York's 10th Congressional District, which covers Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, former New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander defeated two-term Rep. Dan Goldman after making the latter's support for Israel a central line of attack. Lander garnered around 65% of the vote, while Goldman received around 34%. Lander, who served as New York City comptroller from 2022 to 2025 and ran for mayor last year, was backed by Mamdani, Sen. Bernie Sanders and the Working Families Party. Following his win, Lander said, “I will be one of the Jewish members of Congress most willing to stand up for Palestinian human rights.” Beyond foreign policy, Lander campaigned on affordable housing, transit investment and reducing economic inequality in the city.

In the open seventh Congressional District, which spans parts of Brooklyn and Queens, State Assembly member Claire Valdez defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and New York City Council member Julie Won to become the Democratic nominee. As of Wednesday afternoon, Valdez had taken roughly 56.1% of the vote, while Reynoso had earned around 35%. Valdez, who was elected to the State Assembly in 2024, framed her campaign around housing affordability, expanding social services and — leaning on her background as a union organizer — workers' rights. She also campaigned on an embargo on arms sales to Israel. In her victory speech, Valdez said that she will “continue to call for Palestinian liberation. We will stand up to the genocide.”