Socialist candidates sweep NYC Democratic primaries in blow to Jeffries
Far-left candidates’ victory in New York primaries sent ‘shockwaves’ through the Democratic Party
Fox News’ Harris Faulkner reports on the ‘socialist sweep’ in New York as far-left candidates score significant victories in the Democratic primary. These victories are sending ‘shockwaves’ through the Democratic establishment, highlighted by controversial figures who support policies such as repealing ICE and Medicare for all. Cassie Smedile and Meghan Hays offer their analysis during ‘Faulkner Focus’.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
There is an identity crisis in the Democratic Party.
Three far-left radicals backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani won Tuesday night’s primary with a clear lead over socialist and socialist-adjacent candidates. The mayor’s preferred candidates stunned the party leadership by annihilating candidates supported by the Democratic establishment and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DY).
Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) members Darializa Avila Chevalier and State Assemblywoman Claire Valdez, as well as progressive Democrat and former DSA member Brad Lander, have a clear path to Congress after victories in heavily blue districts.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani arrives to attend the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City on June 14, 2026. (Adam Gray/Associated Press)
Here’s what we know about them:
‘ZOHRAN PARTY’: MAMDANI EMERGES AS DEMOCRATIC KINGMAKER after SOCIALIST ALLIES sweep NYC primaries
Darializa Avila Chevalier
Avila Chevalier, 32, is originally from Florida. He studied at Columbia University and is currently pursuing his doctorate at the City University of New York (CUNY).
He spent much of his time at university organizing against the political right and is a staunch anti-Israel actor. He helped found a group at the Ivy League school called Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD); This group later caused a firestorm when they posted “Death to America” in Persian on X.
The group faced widespread condemnation in 2024. stated “He was fighting for the complete destruction of Western civilization.” Columbia distanced itself from the band.
Congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier speaks at the Get Out the Vote rally at King’s Theater on June 18, 2026 in New York City. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Mayor Zohran Mamdani campaigned with him and other candidates ahead of the Democratic primary and early voting. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
MAMDANI STANDS BY THE SOCIALIST CANDIDATE DESPITE HIS RE-EMERGING VERY LEFT, ANTI-AMERICAN POSTS
Avila Chevalier describes herself as “Afro Latina” and has converted to Islam in recent years. His parents immigrated from the Dominican Republic before he was born, and his nationality has become the central focus of his primary battle, largely in the Dominican 13th Congressional District, especially as he appears to be moving away from his roots.
On Tuesday night, he unseated Democrat Adriano Espaillat (DY), a five-term progressive in his own right, after he ran against him from his left wing.
Avila Chevalier, on her account He deleted a series of inflammatory far-left posts in which he attacked other Democrats, including
Darializa Avila Chevalier, Democratic Congressional candidate in New York’s 13th Congressional District, speaks to a voter in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan on June 14, 2026 in New York, NY. (Shuran Huang/via Getty Images for the Washington Post)
MAMDANI-SUPPORTED SOCIALIST CANDIDATE QUITS FROM LIVE INTERVIEW AFTER CONSULTED WITH OLD SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
Perhaps most obviously, he destroyed the United States on multiple occasions; he once called his own country a “fucking disgrace”.
“I forgot to get a napkin, so I wiped my hand on the American flag behind me,” she said in another since-deleted post.
The soon-to-be congresswoman is also a fierce anti-border activist and has advocated eliminating police and prisons altogether.
FAR LEFT SURGERY: MAMDANI-SUPPORTED CANDIDATES OFFICIAL DEM STAFF OFFICIALS
In a 2021 post on
In an argument against Espaillat last week, Avila Chevalier argued that illegal aliens should not be deported under any circumstances, even if they have committed violent crimes or served time in prison. He argued that, oddly enough, deporting violent alien criminals constituted “double jeopardy,” since Americans who committed the same crimes could not be deported.
Darializa Avila Chevalier, the Democratic candidate for Congress in New York’s 13th Congressional District, speaks to voter Maria Rodriguez in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan on June 14, 2026. (Shuran Huang/via Getty Images for the Washington Post)
He also declared war on white women and once even criticized black and Arab men for “fetishizing ugly colonial women.”
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST MAMDANI ALLY BID FOR US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
State Assemblywoman Claire Valdez
Valdez currently represents New York’s 37th District State Assembly and was elected to the position in 2024. He took office in 2025 and almost immediately launched a congressional bid to replace DY by former Rep. Nydia Velázquez, who is retiring from Congress.
Valdez is from Lubbock, Texas, and moved to New York in 2015 to pursue her career as an artist. He is part Native American and a citizen of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Nation.
Like Avila Chevalier, he was endorsed by the Justice Democrats, a far-left group that rose to prominence when it helped launch the political career of socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. The group describes Valdez as a “proud Democratic Socialist.”
Congressional candidate Claire Valdez greets supporters at her first vigil party at 99 Scott Studio in the East Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, on June 23, 2026. Valdez won the 7th District race against Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso to unseat retiring Rep. Nydia Velazquez. He was one of three progressive candidates supported by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
SOCIALISTS CHARGE AT “SHOCK WAVE” PRE-NIGHT AS DSA-SUPPORTED CANDIDATES WIN AND MOVE ON THE MAP
The endorsement boasts that Valdez “worked low-paying customer service jobs through high school, college and beyond.” One of those jobs was as a laborer at Columbia University, where she joined UAW Local 2110, which represents full- and part-time secretarial and clerical workers. He was elected to the union’s bargaining committee.
Justice Democrats say that as a councilman, he “fought to tax the rich, protect renters, and empower working people.”
Valdez also described Israel’s military operation in Gaza as “genocide”.
“Two and a half years ago, Israeli leaders made clear their intention to commit genocide in Gaza,” said an X post on June 3. “And that’s exactly what they did. I was in the streets with many New Yorkers protesting our complicity and liberating Palestine.”
State Representative Claire Valdez, a Democrat from New York and a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, arrives for an introductory meeting ahead of the primary elections on June 22, 2026 in Brooklyn, New York. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg)
He called for the US to stop funding to Israel.
Valdez also called for the abolition of ICE, which he described as a “fascist agency” and accused them of “terrorizing” the community and “kidnapping” people.
“This fascist administration is evading our neighbors from immigration court checks,” he said in a 2025 post to X. “What does Albany expect? State leaders can no longer ignore this emergency. We cannot allow ONE more of our neighbors to be targeted.”
“We MUST get past NY4ALL and TAKE THE ICE OUT OF NEW YORK.”
Former NYC Supervisor Brad Lander
Lander served as comptroller of New York City from 2022 to 2025.
Before that, he represented Brooklyn’s 39th District on the New York City Council for 12 years, and founded the Progressive Caucus while on the council.
NY DEM NOT SUPPORTING MAMDANI FOR MAYOR — NOW MAMDANI SUPPORTS HIS CHALLENGER
Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander speaks during an election eve rally in the East Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, on June 22, 2026. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Lander was a card-carrying DSA member until 2023. It was closed on October 7, 2023, in response to the group’s reaction to a Hamas terrorist attack on concert-going Israelis that killed 1,200 people.
He defeated incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) in a landslide in New York’s 10th Congressional District on Tuesday night.
Lander said his first priority in Congress would be to “defeat Trump’s fascism” and eliminate ICE, and accused billionaires of “rigging our economy.”
MAMDANI-SUPPORTED ‘LIBERAL ZIONIST’ Knocks Down DEM, ALLEGED TRUMP IN BID TO TAKE A SEAT IN THE NYC HOUSE
He has described himself as an “ally” of the black community and shockingly accused himself of possible white supremacy in a 2022 candidate poll for the comptroller post.
Democratic Congressional candidate Brad Lander speaks during an election eve rally in the East Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, on June 22, 2026. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
“As a white man, this work begins by listening as honestly as I can to black people about the anger and pain they feel and the system of white supremacy and systemic racism that it reflects,” he said.
“It’s not easy; because it affects me, because the anger is so deep and what it takes to change it is so great. But that has to be the starting point. Deep listening must be followed by action-oriented solutions and real commitments.”
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
In 2020, Lander called on police to suspend arresting criminals and demanded the release of most inmates at Rikers. He also advocated reducing the NYPD’s budget by $1 billion in a letter to voters. New York Post.
The letter reportedly stated “my commitment to work to fund the NYPD.”
None of the primary winners responded to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
