When Comrade Zohran Mamdani swept to power over New York City in January after a convincing election win last November, a lot of political observers attempted to convince themselves that this was the high-water mark for the socialists. Surely, when his charm wore thin and his policies wore people out, they thought that would be the end of this generation's experiment with true radicalism.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott called for a moment of silence after Mamdani's win. Sean Hannity predicted 9% of New Yorkers would flee. There were many others who figured Gotham would eventually regret what they had done. And most, but not all, criticism of Mamdani was about his economic theories and policies. But what should have been the canary in the coal mine is how insidiously antisemitic Mamdani is.
It certainly was noted and exposed at the time, but the Jew hatred, particularly among the Democratic Socialists of America, of which Mamdani, the Squad in the House of Representatives, and other statewide chapters are a part, has not only penetrated the Democratic party, they have taken over and metastasized their cancerous poison within it.
Last night, New York held primaries for both Congressional and state representative seats to see who would be the Democratic nominee. If you are pro-Israel, it was a bloodbath. At least nine state Assembly seat nominations were claimed by DSA/Mamdani candidates. And on the Congressional level, it wasn't much better.
Not one, not two, but three incumbent Democrats lost their primaries to Mamdani-backed socialists who share not just his economic socialism, but his hatred of Jews. My evidence for making this claim about Mamdani is his public record and statements. He refused multiple times to condemn the 'Globalize the Intifada' movement when given the opportunity specifically to do so, has long supported the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction drive against Israel, has referred to the American Israeli Political Action Committee as "dark money monsters", delegitimized Israel's right to self-determination as a Jewish state, and reacted immediately after the 10/7 terrorist attacks by Hamas into Israel by mourning the loss of life on both sides, never singling out Hamas for carrying out the terrorist attack. As mayor, one of his first acts in office was to scrap the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism that was adopted by his predecessor, Eric Adams, because it included city bans of boycotts against Israel.
Now that Mamdani has had half a year in office, his ability to play kingmaker within the Democratic Party in the primary process has been put to the test. After last night, he got full marks.
In New York's 10th Congressional district, covering much of Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, Dan Goldman was knocked off by Mamdani-endorsed Brad Lander, a former New York Comptroller. Goldman, on the ideological scale, is about as far left as one can get. He first dipped his toe into politics by becoming the lead counsel for the House Democrats' first drive for impeachment of Donald Trump in 2019. He helped lead the House Managers' doomed trial in the Senate. He eventually ran for, and easily won his seat in Congress in 2022. The seat was an open seat, because Rep. Jerry Nadler, who held it for years before him, ran for and won the 12th District after New York redrew the Congressional districts in the wake of the 2020 Census.
Goldman represented everything that we on the right believe makes up today's Democratic Party - 1) Hate Donald Trump first and foremost, and 2) See number 1. There is no policy agenda or vote taken by Dan Goldman that would cause any angst whatsoever for a New Yorker from Lower Manhattan or Brooklyn. And until this year, hating Trump was all the calling card any Democrat needed to run a campaign. This year is not like the others, however, and Trump hatred is no longer enough.
Lander's campaign against Goldman focused really on one issue, and one issue only - Goldman's votes on Israel's war in Gaza against Hamas.
BREAKING: AP projects Brad Lander has defeated incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) in New York’s 10th Congressional District.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) June 24, 2026
Lander has campaigned on abolishing ICE, expanding the Supreme Court, & spending almost $2 trillion in taxpayer funds to pay off/forgive student loans.
I'm not here to shed any tears whatsoever about an incumbent Democrat losing a primary. Few things for a Republican bring more joy, in fact. But the way in which this happened should be terrifying and serve as a wake-up call as to the importance of the midterms just around the corner. Goldman and his 7-year-old daughter were in Brooklyn over the weekend, and she, being a young girl, had to use the facilities. They entered the Poetica Coffee Shop, and Goldman bought a drink while his daughter availed herself of the restroom. He was not recognized immediately, but soon after buying the drink, he was refused service by the owner of the establishment for no other reason than Goldman being Jewish.
NYC coffee shop bans pro-Israel politician in nasty post despite promise to treat all customers with 'unconditional dignity' https://t.co/mXtpLPP2vF pic.twitter.com/61RMRgkeHw
— New York Post (@nypost) June 22, 2026
Goldman was stunned. He went on CNN Monday with Laura Coates, and tried to make the unifying case around which he believed all Democrats would accept - Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Rather than criticize rampant antisemitism in the Democratic party, when asked about being banned from a leftist coffee shop for being Jewish, Rep Dan Goldman (D-NY) pivoted to full Trump Derangement Syndrome pic.twitter.com/6AqAoObfUi
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) June 23, 2026
Mind you, I remain optimistic about Republican chances this November, precisely because Democrats don't seem to offer voters any other message than opposing Trump, even if it means taking the side of Team Algae. But ever since the President came down the escalator of Trump Tower in 2015, Trump has been the single greatest unifier of Democrats I've seen in my lifetime. It wasn't enough this time. With virtually all votes counted, something California wouldn't be able to pull off for a month, Landers beat Goldman by 31.8%. And again, it wasn't about substance. It was because Goldman is a Jew. Here's our friend and Salem Colleague Scott Jennings after the race was called.
Well said, @ScottJenningsKY pic.twitter.com/LXAPbKu93H
— Benny Polatseck (@BPolatseck) June 24, 2026
In New York's 7th, covering other parts of Brooklyn and some of Queens, another Mamdani-DSA darling named Claire Valdez easily defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso by a 22-point margin.
Claire Valdez easily defeats Antonio Reynoso in NY-07 pic.twitter.com/sJnMRBWNjP
— Adam Carlson (@admcrlsn) June 24, 2026
It's an open seat being vacated by Nydia Velazquez, a reliable Democratic vote in the House for a long time. But what do we know about Ms. Valdez? She's not a fan of the Jews, either.
Her response to the October 7th atrocity by Hamas was to brand Israel's response as genocide. It's one thing to say it. But she campaigned on banning weapons sales to Israel and stopping all military aid. But those were rookie numbers. She had to up her game.
She was arrested for protesting outside the Capitol offices of New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirstin Gillibrand, demanding an end to U.S. arms sales to Israel. She accused her opponent in the primary, Reynoso, of secretly taking Jew money through AIPAC. Here's just a sample of her victory speech tonight, which typically would outline what goals she has in Congress for her constituents in Queens and Brooklyn.
Claire Valdez said she will "stand up to the genocide" and "continue to call for Palestinian liberation" after winning the Democratic primary for New York's 7th Congressional District. pic.twitter.com/tsbYsKje64
— Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) June 24, 2026
In May, literally a month ago, she sat down with one of her buddies in the podcast world - Michael Beyer - who refers to Jews as a "demonic ethnicity".
And to complete the trifecta of antisemitic Democratic nominees from the Empire State coming soon to a general election near you, joining the ranks of Der Oysterfuhrer, Graham Platner in Maine, and probable Michigan nominee Abdul el-Sayed, is Darializa Chevalier in New York's 13th District.
Decision Desk HQ projects Darializa Chevalier wins the NY US House 13 Democratic Primary#DecisionMade: 9:49 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/mPQ3O4wMWm
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) June 24, 2026
She is not someone to thank Heaven for, as another Chevalier once sang in Gigi. Her margin of victory in a district including parts of Harlem, the Bronx, and Washington Heights was a lot closer - 3.5%. But she picked off Adriano Espaillat, the current Hispanic Caucus chairman for the House Democrats. What do we know about Chevalier?
On October 8th, 2023, before all the dead Israeli men, women, and children were recovered and identified after the 10/7 massacre by Hamas, and before Israeli and American parents learned their children were being held hostage in underground Hamas tunnels in Gaza after being kidnapped from the music festival, Chevalier was in Manhattan protesting at a pro-Hamas rally. She was photographed wearing a keffiyeh and surrounded by signs saying Zionism is Genocide. In 2020, three years earlier, she reposted a tweet intimating that Israel didn't exist. She mirrored Valdez' rhetoric by accusing Espaillat of taking Jew money from AIPAC, and on the 75th anniversary of Israel being a state, called it '75 years of apartheid, occupation, dispossession, and exile for Palestinians'.
Oh, and it's not just Israel Chevalier hates. She's not too fond of the United States, either.
This racist antisemite is who the Democrats have just elected to Congress. This is the new Democratic Party. If you are a Democrat this is who represents you now. https://t.co/UKveBTRzr4 pic.twitter.com/d4CjYSrLXi
— Izengabe (@Izengabe_) June 24, 2026
There was one exception to the DSA/Mamdani wing's big night. Incumbent Ritchie Torres won fairly easily in NY-15, which covers the north side of the Bronx. Why? His district is largely Black, and so far, Blacks aren't all that into the DSA as other Democratic constituency groups. But there is a target on Torres' back for 2028. Who is the one already setting up to make Torres' primary race ground zero for another DSA pick-off? The mother of all antisemites, Hasan Piker.
Hasan Piker calls out Ritchie Torres after nine of his endorsed candidates win in New York primaries
— Popstonox (@Popstonox) June 24, 2026
"Ritchie Torres I know you won tonight. I'll see you in two years, motherfucker. I'm coming for you, Richie.
Sit on that fuckin seat for the next two years. I hope you remember… pic.twitter.com/rjRcMzcgtA
We've written a lot here on HotAir about Trump Derangement Syndrome and what is has done to all sorts of people, both in the Democratic and Republican parties, and in the punditocracy as well. TDS may still be the dominant campaign issue for Democrats nationwide in November. If oil and gas prices keep retreating as peace talks continue with Iran and the affordability argument disappears for the left as wages and employment continue rocketing upward into the fall and early voting, Democrats might not have much else to run on other than hating Trump.
But something is growing and multiplying in that party, spreading much more rapidly and with a lot more consequence than algae in the Reflecting Pool. Antisemitism on the left is ascendant - far more than the environmental movement, the trans movement, gun control or women's rights, if you even have the ability to define what a woman is. Democratic leadership - Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries - have no ability to stop it, and appear afraid to stand in its path.
There are certainly elements on the right, or within elements that used to be part of the right, that have an underlying anti-Israel sentiment. Thankfully, for now, Republicans reflexively kick it gradually out of the tent. Tucker Carlson is no longer taken seriously, Candace Owens is a laughing stock, and Marjorie Taylor Greene is out of Congress and a pariah, soon to be joined by Thomas Massie. For now, our side polices its cranks off center stage while the left feeds off its energy source and either condones it at best or endorses it at worst.
You may be tired of the drama - the high gas prices, the uncertainty about the economy, the focus on foreign policy and the Middle East, and/or the Trump antics and rhetoric. You may have already succumbed to the defeatism of recent history, that the out-year midterms of a two-term president are a bloodbath regardless of who you run as a party and how you run the campaign. I'm here to tell you that this is no time to go weak in the knees.
If the antisemitic fever swamp on the left isn't defeated, and repeatedly defeated at the ballot box until an extended time in the wilderness forces Democrats to moderate their rhetoric and nominees, the ancient evil that has reared its ugly head will continue to rip through the fabric of American society, and we will all be worse off for it.
Edmund Burke famously said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
I would adapt that to the state of American electoral politics in 2026 by saying the only thing necessary for the evil of antisemitic socialism to win at the ballot box is for Republicans to do nothing - don't donate to Republican candidates in highly-contested races, don't door knock and work for Republican campaigns, and by all means, don't vote, because you don't think it will matter.
In America, all elections matter. The critical "why" behind every election and what's at stake changes every political cycle. But the importance of elections never wavers. Republicans can't afford to take elections off. Conservatives can't sit on their hands because they didn't get everything they wanted out of the last election for which they cast a vote.
"A republic, ma'am, if you can keep it," Benjamin Franklin said, coming out of the building in Philadelphia. Elections are how we keep it, and given the state of the world, we must keep it.
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