In brief
On Tuesday, progressive-backed incumbents Brad Lander, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez took New York City’s 10th, 13th and 7th congressional districts, respectively, confirming a hard‑won Democratic wave. Governor Kathy Hochul was also projected to win a second term, beating Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman by more than twenty points with just over half the votes counted. While the House results are confirmed, the president’s pledge to cut military aid to Israel remains unverified.
New York City voters on Tuesday trounced Republican challengers, giving three progressive‑aligned incumbents – Brad Lander, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez – seats in the 120th Congress. Al Jazeera reported the victories as a “sweeping” win for Democrats in the city’s heavily Democratic districts.
The three are all backed by City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who came into office as a Democratic socialist in 2025. The seats now sit in the 10th, 13th and 7th districts, respectively, and were considered “shoo‑ins” after the June 23 primaries.
Adin Lenchner, a progressive strategist for Carroll Street Campaigns, told Al Jazeera:
To me, the national story is about this new generation of progressive leaders and getting excited about those who will be inspired by them just as they were inspired by Mamdani.The newly elected representatives said they would bring a liberal agenda to Washington.
Claire Valdez addressed, among other issues, a pledge from President Donald Trump to cut U.S. military aid to Israel. She told Al Jazeera:
I don’t know that we can trust this president to make moral and consistent decisions about our military budget, so we’ll have to see.
Separately, an article on Gothamist and a report from the Times of Israel said Governor Kathy Hochul was projected to win re‑election, leading the race by more than twenty points with just over half the votes counted, defeating Republican Bruce Blakeman. The result was still awaiting formal certification at the time of reporting.
The pledged cancellation of U.S. aid to Israel by Trump remains stated in the candidates’ platforms but has not yet been officially confirmed by any executive action.
