There’s a civil war going on in the Democratic Party, and the Democrats seem to be losing their own party to the insurgent Democratic Socialists, and their Muslim allies.
Buoyed by New York City’s Muslim Socialist Zohran Mamdani’s endorsement, three Democratic Socialist candidates defeated establishment Democrats including Representative Daniel Goldman, Adriano Espaillat and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, the handpicked successor of retiring U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez.
U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman, a two-term incumbent, was beaten by the Mamdani-backed former city Comptroller Brad Lander, who has often aligned himself with the democratic socialist movement.
Adriano Espaillat, who leads the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, was defeated by Mamdani's most polarizing pick, Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist who once helped organize pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University.
The handpicked successor of retiring U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez, establishment Democrat and Brooklyn Borough President, 43-year-old Antonio Reynoso, thought to be one of the rising stars of the Democratic Party, but first-term Assemblywoman Claire Valdez defeated him handily.
Both Lander and Goldman are Jewish and there was a strong undertone of the anti-Semitism that is a hallmark of today’s Democratic Socialists in the race.
For example, “The Valdez campaign tried to persuade voters that her opponent benefited from pro-Israel donors. But the American Israel Public Affairs Committee said it did not get involved in that race, Mr. Reynoso has long criticized Israel, and the claims about pro-Israel donors could not be substantiated,” the New York Times reported.
Despite Valdez’s anti-Semitism, Reynoso was wiped out by Valdez, NY1 called the race early for Valdez at around 9:30 p.m. Valdez led the four-candidate race with roughly 58% of the vote, according to unofficial Board of Elections results posted by BrooklyPaper.com. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso followed with about 33%. Queens Council Member Julie Won received nearly 7%, while political newcomer Vichal Kumar trailed with less than 2%.
In nearby Congressional District NY-13, Mamdani’s even more Far-Left candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated Adriano Espaillat, the Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Chevalier has called the United States a “f—–g disgrace” and joked that she “forgot to get napkins so I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me.”She has also called to “seize the means of production;” pledged to “defund and abolish” the police; and called for “a world without prisons or police.”“It means ending policing full stop. Period. No more police at all ever,” she wrote in one social media post reported by the New York Sun.
The breakdown of who spent what in the race reveals the stark battlelines in the Democratic Party civil war.
BOLD America, which received cash from both the Congressional Hispanic Caucus' super PAC and AIPAC's United Democracy Project, was the biggest spender in the race, putting $2.9 million into defending Espaillat, according to Federal Election Commission filings reported by Axios.
CHC's BOLD PAC spent an additional $230,000, with Latino Victory Fund spending $750,000. Several other groups spent big in support of Epsaillat, including Progressive Unity Fund, Project 218 and United for Progress.
The left-wing Justice Democrats put $1.5 million into supporting Avila Chevalier, with American Priorities — a super PAC founded to counter AIPAC — spending another $1.3 million.
The New York Democratic Party establishment has gone into full panic mode, with New York attorney general, Letitia James, a Democrat who made opposition to President Trump the central plank of her platform, telling CNN that she is among a group of political leaders who are “disappointed” in Mr. Mamdani for endorsing candidates like Ms. Avila Chevalier.“ Some of the candidates that he has supported are individuals who do not understand the politics of New York City, the cultural differences from district to district, who have not been part of the history and the struggle of some of these districts, and are relatively new to the body politic,” Ms. James said. “All of us are a little frustrated with the Democratic Party,” she added. “But you don’t blow it up. That’s what MAGA has done.”
An examination of Ms. Avila Chevalier’s social media history will provide no shortage of ammunition for Republicans seeking to portray the Democrats as radical extremists. But beyond that, we wonder if, given their past statements, Chevalier, Valdez and Lander can honestly take the oath of office for their seats in Congress.
George Rasley is editor of Richard Viguerie's ConservativeHQ.com. A veteran of over 300 political campaigns, he served as a staff member or advance representative for some of America’s most recognized conservative political figures, including Ronald Reagan, Sarah Palin and Jack Kemp. A member of American MENSA, he served on the House and Senate staff and on the staff of Vice President Dan Quayle. Rasley is a graduate of Hanover College and studied international affairs at Oxford University's Worcester College.
