[ Editorial ] Disunited States

New York Earthquake: Democratic Primaries Upend the Establishment. Meanwhile, at the White House, an Octagon and Motocross Bikes Signal the Death Knell of MAGA

In New York, the Democratic primaries on June 23rd turned into a bloodbath. Brad Lander, the city’s former comptroller — that is, the independently elected official overseeing municipal finances — crushed incumbent congressman Dan Goldman by a thirty-point margin. Darializa Avila Chevalier, a 32-year-old pro-Palestinian activist, unseated Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Hispanic Caucus and a candidate backed by Hakeem Jeffries — the House Democratic minority leader, mockingly nicknamed “AIPAC Shakur.” In the 7th congressional district, spanning Queens and Brooklyn, Claire Valdez swept aside Antonio Reynoso, the handpicked successor to retiring incumbent Nydia Velázquez.

A clean sweep for the Democratic Socialists of America and their standard-bearer, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The results are poised to double the movement’s representation in Congress — much to the dismay of the Democratic establishment. One centrist lawmaker, speaking on condition of anonymity, summed up the evening in two phrases: an “earthquake” and a “massive defeat” for party leadership.