New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrated the June 23 Democratic congressional primary results by posting a clip with no caption to his Instagram account of New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson speaking during the team’s championship celebration at City Hall.
“There’s a lot of people that have a lot of negative stuff to say,” Brunson said. “There’s a lot of people that have a lot of opinions, but when you prove them wrong, you don’t have to say s— to them.”
The post came after three candidates endorsed by Mamdani secured Democratic nominations for U.S. House seats representing parts of New York City, setting up their campaigns for the November general election.
Mamdani backed former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander in the 10th Congressional District, New York State Assemblymember Claire Valdez in the 7th Congressional District and democratic socialist organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier in the 13th Congressional District.
Lander won over two term U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman, while Chevalier unseated five term U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat. Valdez prevailed over Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, who was backed by retiring U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez.
The outcome removed two incumbents from Congress, and showed strength for candidates aligned with New York City’s progressive movement.
All three candidates campaigned with similar focuses on addressing income inequality, expanding labor protections and raising taxes on wealthy New Yorkers. Each also criticized U.S. military and financial support for Israel, which became a defining issue in the races.
“I think they were about clarity, conscience and conviction,” Mamdani said. “What you’ve seen from New Yorkers, whether it’s in Brad’s race, Darializa’s race or Claire’s race, is an exhaustion with status quo politics and a desire for something that actually responds to the needs that they have in their own districts.”
Since the primary, Mamdani has faced criticism from several Democratic officials who questioned both his endorsements and the direction of the candidates he supported.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who had previously supported Mamdani in his own campaign, expressed her concern in a CNN interview.
“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,” James said.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also voiced frustration following the elections.
“The mayor and I agree to strongly disagree about some of his endorsements,” Jeffries said. “He’s got work to do in terms of the conversations that he’s going to have with members of Congress moving forward.”
The comments show splits within the New York Democratic Party over its future and Mamdani’s growing influence in national politics.
“I would love for the party to come together with a real vision for the working person,” Mamdani said. “When we look at the history of our party, we see these incredible monuments to that commitment. Whether it’s Four Freedoms State Park on Roosevelt Island or Fiorello LaGuardia’s legacy as mayor and his partnership with FDR and the New Deal.”
“We want to see a party that embraces that kind of vision again. Whether you’re looking at Claire Valdez as an assemblywoman running for Congress, Darializa Avila Chevalier uptown or in the Bronx and Brad Lander running for Congress in New York’s 10th, you can see the beginning of that new kind of party once again.”
