Overview
- The mayor staged a high‑profile get‑out‑the‑vote rally in Brooklyn on Thursday with Sen. Bernie Sanders to boost three candidates he endorsed, elevating the contests and mobilizing volunteers and donors ahead of the June 23 primary.
- Darializa Avila Chevalier, Mamdani’s pick in New York’s 13th District, has apologized for deleted social‑media posts during a recent debate and faced local rebukes after she declined to directly condemn Hamas at an endorsement meeting.
- The race exposes sharp policy differences: Chevalier opposes deporting undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes and favors cutting policing and ICE, while incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat supports deporting the most violent offenders and emphasizes support for Israel.
- The contest has been nationalized by large outside spending and institutional backing for incumbents, with House leaders and pro‑Israel groups backing Espaillat and progressive groups and the DSA mobilizing for challengers.
- With early voting underway and many voters still undecided, turnout will likely decide the June 23 result and the outcome will signal whether Mamdani’s new political network can reshape New York’s congressional delegation and influence party direction.