Republicans ask if Democrats are the party of socialism following ‘earthquake’ New York primary sweep 

In an “earthquake” and a “huge defeat” for Democratic leadership, three Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates won their New York congressional primaries Tuesday, demonstrating the power of the party’s far-left wing. 

The DSA ticket, endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, himself a democratic socialist, ousted two sitting members of Congress and handed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries the worst night of his tenure as party leader.

Jeffries had campaigned hard against all three of Mamdani’s picks. 

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-New York, alleged on social media that Jeffries had cut a deal with Mamdani to keep a potential primary challenger out of his own seat.

“The Democrat Party has officially become the party of Zohran, AOC and Bernie,” Lawler said, referencing the prominent socialists. 

One anonymous Democratic official called the results an “earthquake” and a “huge defeat” for Democratic leadership, Axios reported. 

Tuesday’s results suggested a new identity is emerging in the Democratic Party, one defined not by race or ethnicity but by socialism.

Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander defeated two-term incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman in the 10th Congressional District.

In the open 7th District primary, state Assemblywoman Claire Valdez won, defeating Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.

And in the biggest upset of all, community organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier knocked out five-term Rep. Adriano Espaillat, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in the 13th District.

In other New York primaries of interest, John F. Kennedy’s grandson Jack Schlossberg came in a distant third in the 12th Congressional District, while George Conway, ex-husband of a former Trump adviser and Lincoln Project co-founder, finished fifth in the same race, Forbes noted. 

The Jeffries deal alleged by Lawler wasn’t the only one made during the campaign.

The New York Times and Politico reported Mamdani had promised to support Espaillat against Chevalier but later reneged on the agreement, according to NBC News. 

Chevalier also had to contend with resurfaced social media posts she had previously authored.

One used a pejorative verb to dismiss former Vice President Kamala Harris, and another alleged former President Joe Biden was a rapist. Both were turned into attack ads against her. 

She also had posts wishing for the destruction of Israel and “a world without prisons or police,” the New York Post reported. 

The Israel question drove each of the competitive races.

All three Mamdani-backed candidates ran hard against U.S. support for Israel, while the incumbents they defeated each received significant backing from pro-Israel donor networks, such as AIPAC. 

Chevalier was a former Students for Palestine organizer who served as a field lead on Mamdani’s mayoral campaign and participated in the Columbia University protests against Israel that turned violent, The New York Times noted. 

Those protests fueled a congressional investigation into antisemitism on campus. 

Chevalier had the most hard-fought victory, with a margin of just 3.5%, according to NBC News results.

Republicans wasted no time going on the offensive after the far-left triumph in New York.

The NRCC sent condolence flowers to Jeffries’ Capitol Hill office Wednesday morning.

“Three losses in one night is tough,” spokesman Mike Marinella said. “We wanted so-called ‘Leader’ Jeffries to know our thoughts are with him, his candidates and whatever remains of his influence in the Democrat Party.”

DSA leaders were direct about what the results mean.

“These victories prove that democratic socialists are building a winning coalition,” New York City DSA co-chair Grace Mausser said. “Democratic socialists are speaking to the ever-growing base of voters demanding we end war, abolish ICE, tax the rich and win universal healthcare.” 

Democrats spent years telling Americans that Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, and the face of the DSA, wasn’t who they are, said Erin Maguire, a Republican political strategist. 

“Looking at the candidates they’re nominating in 2026, it’s getting harder and harder to conclude anything else,” she added.

There are limits as well as opportunities for the DSA now.

The socialists have yet to perform well in a major race outside a large urban center. The socialist brand probably remains a liability in the suburban battleground districts that decide House majorities, NPR noted. 

Lawler himself faces a competitive reelection race in a district rated a toss-up by the Cook Political Report.

But he will campaign in the general election against a Democratic Party whose New York City delegation just moved decisively left, even if his Democratic opponent isn’t a left-wing radical.

It’s unclear how the newly energized progressive wing will approach Lawler’s opponent in a race that will likely depend on turnout.

Army veteran Cait Conley is a former national security staffer for President Joe Biden, hardly a firebrand socialist.

Another moderate House Democrat told Axios anonymously the sudden influx of Democratic Socialists will be a “migraine” for leadership come 2027.

“Calling it a headache is an understatement,” the lawmaker said.

But with socialists already campaigning in the 2026 midterms, the headache may have arrived early.