By Nolan D. McCaskill
WASHINGTON, June 23 (Reuters) - New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani isn't running for Congress, but he's the main character in a bid to remake New York's congressional delegation by backing three far-left candidates with ties to the Democratic Socialists of America to take on two mainstream Democratic incumbents, Adriano Espaillat in the Bronx and Dan Goldman in Brooklyn/Lower Manhattan, as well as an open seat in Queens.
Those lawmakers backed other candidates in the mayor's race and are
seen as insufficiently adversarial toward Israel in its war on Hamas, a passionate subject for the mayor.
Other prominent democratic socialists include Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose district spans the Bronx and Queens.
The New York City primaries risk putting Mamdani at odds with another powerful New York politician, Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who will become third in line to the presidency should Democrats win control of the House of Representatives in November.
New York, Maryland and Utah each hold primaries on Tuesday, when South Carolina will host runoffs.
Here is what we're watching:
MAMDANI VS JEFFRIES, HOUSE DEMS
Mamdani is using his popularity among young voters to elevate far-left challengers Darializa Avila Chevalier and Brad Lander against two Democratic incumbents and Assembly Member Claire Valdez for an open seat.
Avila Chevalier, an activist and doctoral student, is running against the five-term Espaillat, who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in a district spanning northern Manhattan and the Bronx.
Lander, a former New York City comptroller and ex-mayoral candidate, is challenging Representative Dan Goldman, a former federal prosecutor who led House Democrats' investigation into the first impeachment of President Donald Trump, in his Lower Manhattan district.
Valdez faces Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and New York City Council Member Julie Won in a crowded primary to succeed retiring Representative Nydia Velazquez, whose district includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens.
Mamdani's endorsements pit the new mayor against Jeffries, whose job is to protect Democratic incumbents and lead his party back into the majority. The outcomes in the three districts won't impact Democrats' path to power, but they will test Mamdani's clout and the strength of the democratic socialist movement.
LAWLER MEETS HIS MATCHUP
U.S. Representative Mike Lawler, a vulnerable Republican who represents a district Kamala Harris won in 2024, will find out his general election opponent on Tuesday.
Top candidates among the Democrats are combat veteran and national security expert Cait Conley, a member of the "Hell Cats" group of female veterans running for office, and Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson.
The lower Hudson Valley-area district is one of three Republican-held seats in districts Harris won, making it a top flip opportunity for a party aiming to win control of the House of Representatives in November. Harris won the district by just 0.6 percentage points, though Lawler won reelection by 6 percentage points.
And while the current political environment favors Democrats nationally, Lawler will begin the general election with a $3 million to $4 million cash advantage over the Democratic nominee.
KENNEDY, CONWAY AND STATE LAWMAKERS EYE OPEN SEAT
A lawyer who was married to a top Trump adviser, a Kennedy, and two state lawmakers comprise a crowded field of Democrats vying to succeed Representative Jerry Nadler in his Manhattan district.
An Emerson College poll last month found Assembly Members Micah Lasher, a former Nadler aide, and Alex Bores in a statistical tie. The two were significantly ahead of attorney George Conway, whose ex-wife Kellyanne Conway was a Trump adviser during his first administration, and Kennedy scion Jack Schlossberg.
The pair were in the low double digits. But nearly a third of likely primary voters were undecided, meaning it's possible a lower-performing candidate could surge to victory on Tuesday.
Stand for New York PAC, a super PAC funded by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has spent more than $10 million boosting Lasher. Think Big, a pro-AI super PAC, has spent nearly $8 million against Bores, who is backed by three other super PACs himself.
The 33-year-old grandson of President John F. Kennedy is the wild card here with a short professional resume, and much like Mamdani, a strong presence on social media with more than 850,000 followers on TikTok.
The winner will be heavily favored to be elected to Congress in November.
TRUMP HEDGES HIS BET IN SOUTH CAROLINA RUNOFF
South Carolina voters will choose their likely next governor in a contest between Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson.
After initially endorsing Evette, Trump signaled to South Carolina Republicans late last week that they can't go wrong with either.
"These were the two that I was hoping would get into a Runoff, and they did," he wrote on Truth Social. "I can’t hurt one of them by only Endorsing the other, so, therefore, I am going to Endorse, for Governor of South Carolina, both Pam Evette and Alan Wilson!"
While Trump's endorsement power in recent weeks has ousted Republican Senators John Cornyn and Bill Cassidy and Representatives Thomas Massie and Nancy Mace, two of his picks for governor have stumbled, soiling his reputation as a kingmaker in Republican politics.
Iowa voters narrowly rejected Trump-backed Representative Randy Feenstra in favor of businessman and farmer Zach Lahn earlier this month, and Georgia voters elevated billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson over Trump-endorsed Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones last week.
The winner of the runoff for governor will face Democratic state Representative Jermaine Johnson but is expected to win in a state Trump carried by 18 percentage points in 2024.
(Reporting by Nolan D. McCaskill; additional reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Craig Timberg and Alistair Bell)
