The same sort of generational churn roiling Capitol Hill is unfolding in New York, where next week’s primary is likely to reshape Democratic factions in the state and impact the 2027 policy agenda.
More than 30 seats in the state legislature are up for grabs as longtime lawmakers retire, run for higher office, or face leftist primary challengers on June 23.
At the same time, a few crowded congressional races are exposing party rifts, as younger, leftist candidates square off against establishment New York City Democrats such as Rep. Adriano Espaillat and Rep. Dan Goldman.
Much of the activity flows from the Democratic Socialists of America, which is organizing more than 500 canvassing events this week meant to recapture the interest of young voters who fueled New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s victory last November. Mamdani will headline a rally Thursday that’s also expected to feature Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
Espaillat faces Darializa Avila Chevalier, a community organizer and Mamdani-endorsed Democratic Socialist who has accused Espaillat of accepting money from super PACs. Goldman will square off against former mayoral hopeful Brad Lander, a progressive who is closely aligned with Mamdani and has accused Goldman of failing to meet progressive standards.
Another Democratic Socialist upstart, Assemblymember Claire Valdez, is running against progressive favorite and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso for the seat being vacated by Rep. Nydia Velazquez. Mamdani has endorsed Valdez.
“It’s really important for us to elect more Democratic Socialists to Congress because it is going to set the stage for us in 2028, similarly to how the mayoral campaign has allowed us to contest for broader power,” said Gustavo Gordillo, the co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America’s NYC chapter. “This is part of a project that’s broader than just contesting for two congressional seats, but also to redefine the ideological consensus.”
Business interests such as DoorDash and sports betting companies, meanwhile, have poured millions of dollars into state-level races to support incumbent Democrats facing primary challenges.
The outcome is likely to shape the legislative agenda at the state Capitol next year. Statehouse victories would bolster Mamdani’s platform and could prove problematic for more moderate Democrats such as Gov. Kathy Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Hochul and Jeffries face “enormous national pressure from everyone who is concerned about a national rise of the left,” said Evan Roth Smith, a pollster and Democratic strategist with Slingshot Strategies. That includes business groups closely watching how changes at the state Capitol could influence lawmakers’ ability to negotiate with Hochul on tax increases.
Jeffries, in particular, has pushed back against Mamdani’s endorsements and the DSA wing of the party, reinforcing his support of Espaillat and incumbent Assemblymember Jordan Wright at a rally in Harlem June 14.
Even though fewer of New York’s congressional districts are likely to flip, the results could offer a barometer of where Democratic voters are after the turbulent two years since the 2024 presidential election.
Early voting turnout has so far lagged behind numbers for the June 2025 citywide primary, according to results tallied this week by the New York City Board of Elections. Hochul is running unopposed after her progressive primary challenger dropped out, ending a race that might have drawn more voters to the polls.
Ripple Effects
At least seven Assembly incumbents face competitive primaries from their left, which Gordillo contended reflects the disappointment many feel with lawmakers who were elected as progressive Democrats but “maintained the status quo.”
Assemblymember Didi Barrett of the Hudson Valley is considered among the most vulnerable, facing former prosecutor Sam Hodge, a Democratic Party official who has pledged to refuse contributions from utility or large energy companies.
In New York City, incumbent Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar and Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman face Democratic Socialists David Orkin and Eon Huntley in races that analysts view as possible upsets, said Roth Smith.
The Democratic Socialists of America have endorsed two candidates running for congressional districts and six candidates in state races. Most have been backed by either Mamdani, Sanders, or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
“Just purely from an arithmetic standpoint, DSA gained a lot of power in the last year, and by definition, that means that power came at the expense of other factions,” said Michael Lange, a New York City political analyst.
But that might not translate into the same embrace of challengers across the board, Lange said. “A lot of people across the spectrum are very happy that Mamdani won, but that doesn’t mean that they want socialists everywhere,” he said.
Moderate Democrats are also concerned that if leftist challengers pick up primary seats, the ripple effects could hurt suburban Democrats in Republican districts, said Lawrence Levy, the executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University. He said GOP operatives in areas like Long Island are already attempting to connect even moderate blue candidates to Mamdani’s policies in New York City.
Yet, governing at the state Capitol requires pragmatic political decisions that could conflict with how socialists operate, longtime lawmakers said.
Assemblymember John McDonald, a 14-year incumbent from the Albany area, acknowledged a larger number of socialists could persuade Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie—a more moderate Democrat from the Bronx who has been conciliatory with Hochul—to resist the governor’s attempts to quash ideological wins like tax increases.
He also noted Heastie has long been adept at balancing competing interests within the party, especially between representatives of safe seats in New York City and more purple ones in suburban and rural areas.
There are also concerns that younger, newer lawmakers aren’t as experienced with the complex policies and parlance of the state Capitol.
“It definitely is a turning of the page, and that’s not bad,” said Assemblymember Deborah Glick (D), who is retiring this year after three decades representing Lower Manhattan. “But this is a generation that is more about superficial communication. Governing is not the slogan-y way in which social media operates.”