Who’s won key races so far – at a glance
It’s been a good night for progressives in New York primaries so far while results have also come through from primaries and runoffs in Maryland and South Carolina. Here are the key winners at a glance:
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Micah Lasher has won the Democratic primary for the US House seat in New York’s 12th Congressional District, which is being vacated by veteran congressman Jerry Nadler. A self-described “nerd”, Lasher defeated Kennedy grandson Jack Schlossberg and state represenative Alex Bores for the coveted nomination.
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Brad Lander, a progressive ally of New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, easily won the Democratic primary in New York’s 10th congressional district, defeating the more moderate incumbent Democrat, Dan Goldman.
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Another Mamdani-backed candidate, Claire Valdez, defeated another progressive, the Brooklyn borough president Antonio Reynoso, and is now likely to win the general election in New York district 7 to replace the retiring incumbent, Nydia Velázquez.
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US army veteran Cait Conley has won the Democratic primary in New York’s 17th congressional district in the lower Hudson Valley. She will face the vulnerable incumbent Republican congressman Mike Lawler in a district narrowly won by Kamala Harris in 2024.
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Nancy Lacore, a three-star navy rear-admiral fired by Pete Hegseth last year in the defense secretary’s purge of senior US military officials, has won the Democratic nomination in a runoff for a closely watched congressional race in South Carolina.
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South Carolina’s attorney general, Alan Wilson, is projected to have won the Republican nomination for governor, defeating Trump-backed lieutenant governor Pamela Evette.
Key events
Darializa Chevalier is latest Mamdani pick to win Democratic New York primary
Darializa Chevalier has won the Democratic nomination for New York’s 13th congressional district.
This makes her the third Mamdani-backed Democrat of the night to win her primary race.
Celebrations were in full flow at her watch party.
Ben McAdams, a former Utah congressman trying to distance himself from his moderate reputation, has won the Democratic primary in a redrawn House district that Democrats are strongly favored to win this fall.
AP called the race for McAdams. Here’s more from their report:
McAdams defeated several candidates to his political left, including a state senator and a former employee of TikTok and Meta who had insisted McAdams is too conservative to represent a deep blue district.
The seat in the Salt Lake City area is among the few anticipated Democratic pickups following a national redistricting fight started by President Donald Trump to try to help Republicans maintain their majority in the U.S. House.
The 1st Congressional District race could be crucial for Democrats, who need to gain only a few House seats in November to take control of the narrowly divided chamber.
McAdams is strongly favored to defeat Republican Riley Owen, an intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve who was chosen during the state GOP’s spring convention.
Who’s won key races so far – at a glance
It’s been a good night for progressives in New York primaries so far while results have also come through from primaries and runoffs in Maryland and South Carolina. Here are the key winners at a glance:
-
Micah Lasher has won the Democratic primary for the US House seat in New York’s 12th Congressional District, which is being vacated by veteran congressman Jerry Nadler. A self-described “nerd”, Lasher defeated Kennedy grandson Jack Schlossberg and state represenative Alex Bores for the coveted nomination.
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Brad Lander, a progressive ally of New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, easily won the Democratic primary in New York’s 10th congressional district, defeating the more moderate incumbent Democrat, Dan Goldman.
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Another Mamdani-backed candidate, Claire Valdez, defeated another progressive, the Brooklyn borough president Antonio Reynoso, and is now likely to win the general election in New York district 7 to replace the retiring incumbent, Nydia Velázquez.
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US army veteran Cait Conley has won the Democratic primary in New York’s 17th congressional district in the lower Hudson Valley. She will face the vulnerable incumbent Republican congressman Mike Lawler in a district narrowly won by Kamala Harris in 2024.
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Nancy Lacore, a three-star navy rear-admiral fired by Pete Hegseth last year in the defense secretary’s purge of senior US military officials, has won the Democratic nomination in a runoff for a closely watched congressional race in South Carolina.
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South Carolina’s attorney general, Alan Wilson, is projected to have won the Republican nomination for governor, defeating Trump-backed lieutenant governor Pamela Evette.
Navy admiral fired by Hegseth wins Democratic South Carolina House primary
Nancy Lacore, a three-star navy rear-admiral fired by Pete Hegseth last year in the defense secretary’s purge of senior US military officials, has won the Democratic nomination in a runoff for a closely watched congressional race in South Carolina.
Lacore, who served 35 years in the navy, was chief of the navy reserve when she was ousted by Hegseth in August. She defeated Mac Deford, a US Coast Guard veteran, for the Democratic nomination for South Carolina’s first congressional district in November’s midterm election.
The seat is currently held by the Republican Nancy Mace, who chose to forgo seeking re-election to focus on her failed challenge for governor.
Jack Schlossberg, the 33-year-old grandson of John F Kennedy, was arguably the most high-profile of those running in the district, but his meme-heavy campaign fell behind Micah Lasher, a New York state representative and self-described nerd who has been endorsed by Nadler.
Micah Lasher wins Democratic nomination for House seat in New York’s 12th district
AP has just called the Democratic primary for the US House seat in New York’s 12th Congressional District for Micah Lasher.
This means Lasher defeated Kennedy grandson Jack Schlossberg and tech target Alex Bores for the nomination in the seat being vacated by veteran congressman Jerry Nadler.
Adrian Boafo wins Democratic primary to replace retiring Steny Hoyer
Maryland’s Adrian Boafo has won the Democratic primary to succeed his retiring former boss Steny Hoyer, who is 87.
Boafo won on Tuesday to advance to November’s general election after opting for a continuation of Hoyer’s pragmatic style of politics over a more progressive, antiestablishment approach promised by some other candidates, the AP reports.
State delegate Boafo, 32, was endorsed by Hoyer, governor Wes Moore and other prominent Democrats. He garnered donations from tech firms and the cryptocurrency industry as well as more than $1m from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s super PAC.
US army veteran Cait Conley wins Democratic primary in New York’s 17th congressional district
With more than 50% of the vote so far, US army veteran Cait Conley has won the Democratic primary in New York’s 17th congressional district in the lower Hudson Valley. She will face the vulnerable incumbent Republican congressman Mike Lawler in a district narrowly won by Kamala Harris in 2024. It was one of just three nationwide that voted for Harris for president but elected a Republican member of Congress.
Mamdani-backed community organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier leads tight race in New York’s 13th congressional district
With 83% of the vote cojnted, Darializa Avila Chevalier, a progressive community organizer endorsed by New York’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, holds a slim lead over incumbent congressman Adriano Espaillat in the Democratic primary in New York’s 13th congressional district.
The challenger holds a 3.5-point lead, or just over 2,000 votes, in the race to represent Upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx in Congress.
Jewish American critics of Israeli occupation welcome Brad Lander’s victory
IfNotNow, an activist group formed to oppose the American Jewish community’s support for the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, has issued the following statement celebrating Brad Lander’s win in New York’s 10th congressional district:
Brad’s victory is a win for everyone who supports equality and justice for all. We share this victory with all New Yorkers — Jewish, Muslim, immigrant, queer and trans, and all those who want a better future for ourselves and our neighbors. Over the course of his campaign, IfNotNow Movement members knocked on doors, made calls to our neighbors, and hosted Brad for Shabbat. We were proud to endorse Brad and support his campaign because he’s been fighting for our communities for years — as a member and supporter of IfNotNow Movement and as an organizer and political leader in New York City. Now we’re ready to send Brad to Congress in November, pass the “Block the Bombs” Act, and bring an end to Israel’s war crimes in Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank.
Morriah Kaplan, the group’s executive director called Lander’s victory “a blueprint for the future for both the Jewish community and the Democratic Party”.
“He ran a bold, unapologetically Jewish campaign that rejected pro-war lobbies like AIPAC and the endless flow of U.S. weapons to Israel. And his vision won resoundingly”, Kaplan said. “Brad understands that the only true path to safety for the Jewish people, and all people, is shared safety. That means fighting fascism, building solidarity, and supporting freedom and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis. We’re proud to fight alongside him. Mazel tov, Brad!”
Mamdani ally Claire Valdez wins Democratic primary in New York’s seventh congressional district
This is shaping up to be a good night for New York progressives, as Claire Valdez, a state lawmaker and Democratic Socialists of America member has won the Democratic primary in New York’s seventh congressional district, to represent parts of Brooklyn and Queens.
With the backing of New York’s mayor Zohran Mamdani, Valdez defeated another progressive, the Brooklyn borough president Antonio Reynoso, and is now likely to win the general election in a heavily Democratic district to replace the retiring incumbent, Nydia Velázquez.
Reynoso was supported by Velázquez, while Valdez was endorsed by Mamdani and senator Bernie Sanders.
Lander supporters celebrate in Brooklyn
Julius Constantine Motal
Progressive Democrat Brad Lander’s victory in the Democratic primary to represent parts of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn in the US Congress is being celebrated in Brooklyn.
Mamdani-backed Brad Lander unseats New York congressman Dan Goldman in Democratic primary
Brad Lander, a progressive ally of New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, easily won the Democratic primary in New York’s 10th congressional district, defeating the more moderate incumbent Democrat, Dan Goldman.
The race between two Jewish New Yorkers focused largely on their very different stances on Israel and its war on Gaza. Lander, a former New York City comptroller who divested from State of Israel bonds while in office, has described the Israeli assault on Gaza since the October 2023 Hamas attack as a genocide and called Israel an apartheid state for ruling over millions of Palestinians denied civil or political rights in occupied territories.
Goldman, like many Democrats, has tried to blame Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for its assault on Gaza and mistreatment of Palestinians, but Lander, who calls himself “a proud Jew” more closely represents the sentiments of New York’s left-leaning Jewish community that increasingly sees the need to question Israel and withhold military aid.
Earlier this month, Lander was found not guilty of blocking an elevator during his attempt to inspect rooms holding detained immigrants at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, home to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office and immigration courts.
Polls close in New York primary elections
The polls just closed in New York, at 9pm ET. We expect a report of early votes very soon.
Democratic incumbents Wes Moore and Kweisi Mfume win primary races in Maryland
We have some race calls in Maryland’s primary elections. Wes Moore, the state’s first Black governor who is seeking re-election, has won the Democratic nomination in a landslide.
Congressman Kweisi Mfume, who has represented Maryland’s seventh congressional district since 2020, also easily won the Democratic primary for his seat. Mfume also held the seat from 1987 to 1996, leaving only to serve as president of the NAACP.
He will face Republican Scott Collier, who was unopposed for that party’s nomination in the seventh district.
In the fifth congressional district, where two dozen candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination to replace retiring congressman Steny Hoyer, the state lawmaker Adrian Boafo leads his nearest challenger by 12 points with nearly a third of the vote counted. Boafo is supported by Hoyer, Moore and Angela Alsobrooks, who represents Maryland in the US Senate.
In the state’s sixth congressional district, Congresswoman April McClain Delaney leads the Democratic primary by just under 5 points, ahead of David Trone, the former congressman who gave up the seat for an unsuccessful run for the US Senate in 2024. Trone has spent $25m of his own money on the primary race.
Votes are still being cast in New York, but some races could be called soon after polls close
New Yorkers have less than an hour to get to their polling places, and candidates, including Yuh-Line Niou, who is running for the state senate, are reminding voters that if they make it to the polls before they close at 9pm ET, they can stay to cast their vote.
Primary elections in New York are closed, meaning that only voters registered with one of the major parties can take part in that party’s primaries.
New York City is known for quick counting of votes, in part because large numbers of votes cast and counted before election day are reported as soon as the polls close. Votes cast on election day are counted by machines soon after that.
As a result, races for seats in congress or the state legislature to represent parts of the city are often called less than an hour after polls close.
Some competitive races will no doubt take longer to sort out.
