27/06/2026 16:57 - Internacionales
The Democratic primaries held on Tuesday, June 24, 2026 in New York delivered a stunning result: three progressive candidates endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani won their races, sending a clear message about the direction an important faction of the Democratic Party is taking.
Mayor Mamdani, the first Muslim mayor of New York City, put his political capital on the line by endorsing these candidates, and the bet paid off. The three winners share a common stance: their critical position toward U.S. support for Israel and their willingness to characterize Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide.
Primaries are internal elections where political parties select their candidates for the general election. In the U.S., winning a Democratic primary in heavily Democratic areas like New York City often guarantees victory in the November general election.
The former New York City Comptroller (the city's chief financial officer) defeated Representative Dan Goldman by more than 30 percentage points. In his victory speech, Lander declared his intention to be "one of the Jewish members of Congress most willing to defend the human rights of Palestinians."
A state legislator and former union organizer, she defeated Antonio Reynoso, the preferred candidate to succeed retiring Representative Nydia Velázquez in New York's 7th district (parts of Brooklyn and Queens).
In what's being described as a "stunning victory," this public defender investigator defeated Representative Adriano Espaillat, a five-term incumbent and Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in the diverse 13th district (Upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx).
According to the report, more than 75,000 people have died in Gaza since October 2023, after Hamas militants killed approximately 1,200 people and took 250 hostages in an attack on Israel. A ceasefire was reached in October 2026.
President Joe Biden's decision to support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after October 7 sparked protests that dubbed him "Genocide Joe" and may have affected enthusiasm for Kamala Harris's failed presidential campaign.
The question of whether Israel's actions in Gaza constitute genocide—a determination reached by human rights groups and a UN commission—has become a kind of "litmus test" for the Democratic Party's left wing.
Brad Lander in his speech: "I believe [Biden's strategy of embracing Netanyahu] made us complicit in a genocide."
Usamah Andrabi, spokesperson for Justice Democrats: "It's a testament to how much our movement has progressed against lobbies like AIPAC."
Zohran Mamdani: "The old politics that got us into this crisis is not the politics that will get us out of it."
📝 Note: AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) is one of the most powerful pro-Israel lobbying groups in the United States.
Tom Malinowski, former congressman: Warned they risk creating "the mirror image of MAGA."
Donald Trump: Celebrated Goldman and Conway's defeats on social media, saying "the Democratic Party is in big trouble."
Jaime Harrison, former DNC chair: "If you hate the Democratic Party, then please don't run for our nomination."
Analysts predict that the question of the U.S. stance toward Israel will be unavoidable in the 2028 presidential election.
Bill Galston, former domestic policy advisor to Bill Clinton: "Every presidential candidate on the Democratic side will now have to declare themselves on the issue of the U.S. stance toward Israel. The question was largely avoided in 2024. That strategy is no longer possible."
The issue could also appear in Colorado's primaries on Tuesday, where 15-term Congresswoman Diana DeGette faces a challenge from Melat Kiros, a democratic socialist who has criticized the incumbent for being too favorable to Israel.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
