What the Three Elected Pro-Palestine Candidates in New York Mean

posted on: Jul 1, 2026

By: Connor J. Buss / Arab America Contributing Writer

Eyes are turning to New York once again as three democratic socialist candidates campaigned in open support of Palestine… and won. The candidates in New York’s democratic primaries received endorsements from Mayor Zohran Mamdani and uplifted incumbent Israel-backed candidates across the state.

The Results

Assembly District 37 Representative Claire Valdez secured a 56.1% vote in New York’s 7th Congressional District, beating AIPAC-supported incumbent Antonio Reynoso. Her campaign ran on Medicare for All and increasing public housing options.

Darializa Avila Chevalier beat AIPAC-backed five-time Representative Adriano Espaillat by a mere 3.5% margin in New York’s 13th Congressional District. Chevalier had been previously arrested for leading the Columbia University Gaza Encampment while enrolled as a student in 2024.

Former Comptroller Brad Lander defeated AIPAC-backed two-time incumbent Dan Goldman by 30% in New York’s 10th Congressional District, notably a deeply Jewish district. Additionally, Lander received support from grassroots organization Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. Lander had also been arrested by ICE agents while running for mayor in 2025.

All three of the candidates campaigned in open support of Palestine and against Israel’s actions in Gaza. They are all members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

Additionally, Valdez’s successor to her previous position in New York State Assembly District Thirty-Seven (AD37) is Samantha Kattan. Similarly to Valdez, Kattan is a democratic socialist who has openly supported Palestine and called out Israel. She won with 66.8% of the vote. This parallels Diana Moreno, another democratic socialist in support of Palestine who took mayor Zohran Mamdani’s former position in AD36. She won with 74.1% of the vote in 2025 and was reelected with 78.3% in 2026.

Endorsements

All three candidates received endorsements from the newly-founded Peace, Accountability, and Leadership PAC (PAL PAC). The PAC was founded in February 2026 as a direct opposition group to The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel lobbying group that spent $50 million on the New York primaries alone.

Notably, all three candidates were also endorsed by Zohran Mamdani, the Mayor of New York City since January 2026. Mamdani’s endorsements stem from shared affiliation as a democratic socialist supporting Palestine and against Israel’s actions in Gaza. Bernie Sanders, a Jewish independent Senator from Vermont who has called out Israel and maintains a close relationship with the DSA. However, while the endorsements were effective in garnering support for the candidates, they also roped Sanders and Mamdani’s political rivals into getting involved with the race.

Backlash

The three candidates received backlash from both Republicans and Democrats alike. Republican nominee for NY governor Bruce Blakeman called Lander akin to a Nazi camp guard for his stance against Israel:

“Even though he’s Jewish, this guy would be a camp guard in the concentration camp if he could.”

Chevalier also received outrage over a deleted social media post in which she claims to wipe her dirty hand on an American flag:

“I forgot to get napkins, so I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me.”

Republican Representative Randy Fine of Florida called out Chevalier’s post during a comment about the candidates on the The Todd Starnes Radio Show:

“These people are bad people,” Fine said. “One of them said she wipes her hand with the flag as though it’s the napkin. Others who unabashedly support Muslim terrorists. I mean these are bad and we’ve got to be worried about the future of the country.”

However, Dan Goldman had less harsh words for his democratic counterpart. After his defeat to Lander, Goldman released a statement welcoming Lander to office:

“Tonight, the voters of 10th District have spoken. While this is not the outcome I worked so hard for, I respect their decision. I called Brad and I wish him very well as he works to represent this amazing district.” Goldman said.

What Now?

The wins across New York show that support for Israel is beginning to fade. The impact of AIPAC spending is beginning to look less powerful, with 60% of U.S. adults holding an unfavourable view of Israel, up a whopping 53% from last year according to a Pew Research Center survey in March 2026. This is reflected in the recent elections, with all three candidates not only being pro-Palestine, but also beating incumbent pro-Israel candidates in all three districts. New York City has become one of the first big political wins that pro-Palestine groups have been looking for.

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