- Zohran Mamdani issued several endorsements, backing left-leaning progressive candidates against incumbents.
- Some New York candidates face question over lack of experience.
- Proposed congressional mapping changes could eliminate Maryland's last Republican district in two years.
- South Carolina faces gubernatorial runoff with both candidates endorsed by Donald Trump.
Primary elections on Tuesday in New York and Maryland, as well as a runoff election in South Carolina, might prove the power of endorsements for candidates in both major parties.
In New York, Democrats on the progressive left are challenging incumbents in several districts, which could show the future direction of the party.
Mayor Mamdani may not be on the ballot, but he sure is in the race
Several congressional races in New York are influenced by a politician not on any of the ballots: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani, just over six months into his term, has endorsed candidates whose platform aligns with his far-left ambitions.
Congressional District 7: Mamdani endorsed state Assembly Member Claire Valdez, who looks to fill the seat of retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez. Velázquez endorsed Valdez’s opponent, Antonio Reynoso, Brooklyn Borough president.
Congressional District 10: The mayor endorsed Brad Lander, former city comptroller, over the incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed Goldman.
The District 10 race gained recent attention due to an incident with a coffee shop.
After Goldman visited Poetica Coffee, a left-leaning café in Brooklyn, with his 7-year-old daughter on Sunday, the company posted a harsh statement on Instagram.
“We don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between,” the post read. “Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away.”
Goldman responded to the post in the comments, saying that he stopped in the café so that his daughter could use the restroom and he purchased a coffee to thank the employees for letting her do so.
“The barista could not have been nicer to my 7-yr-old daughter and me,” he said in the comments. “I made sure to buy a coffee in return for her kindness. I hope you at least make sure that she gets the tip that she deserved.”
Goldman’s opponent, Brad Lander, spoke on the issue too.
“Over the last few days, the online rhetoric targeting Dan Goldman & his staff have been over-the top-toxic, from right & left & who knows where,” he wrote in a post on X. “I’m pleading with people to turn it down.”
Congressional District 13: Political organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier gained the mayor’s endorsement as she challenges five-term Rep. Adriano Espaillat.
Other competitive districts in New York include:
Congressional District 12: Retiring Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler leaves an open seat behind him in one of the nation’s wealthiest congressional districts, and eight Democrats look to fill it. Notable candidates include state Assemblymen Micah Lasher and Alex Bores, attorney George Conway and Jack Schlossberg, grandson of former President John F. Kennedy.
Some question Schlossberg’s lack of experience compared to his opponents, and he’s not the only candidate facing that hurdle.
Congressional District 21: Republican Anthony Constantino, in northern New York, is vying to fill a seat left open by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik. Constantino has no political experience but is endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Constantino has expressed his devotion to Trump in several ways, including showcasing a massive “Vote for Trump” sign on one of his company buildings, commissioning a statue of the president as a gift and releasing a hip-hop album titled “Thank You President Trump.”
He is facing Robert Smullen in the Republican primary.
The only statewide seat on the ballot is the race for state comptroller, where five-term incumbent Tom DiNapoli is facing a primary challenger for the first time since he took office almost 20 years ago.
Polls in New York close at 9 p.m. EDT.
Maryland’s results could decide the general election in November
Incumbent Gov. Wes Moore is seeking the Democratic nomination for a second term, amid speculation that he might later pursue a presidential campaign.
Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor in Maryland run on the same ticket.
Moore and Aruna Miller are competing against Eric Felber and his running mate, LaTrece Hawkins Lytes. The Democratic nominee will face the winner of a nine-way race for the Republican nominee.
In addition to the gubernatorial race, all eight of Maryland’s congressional districts will hold contested primaries, and given the state’s Democratic tilt, the primary elections often decide the general election winners as well.
This year is especially significant for Maryland because Tuesday’s elections might be the last under the current boundaries. Proposed changes to Maryland’s congressional map move to eliminate the states lone Republican district in time for elections in 2028.
One of the most notable congressional races is in District 5, where 24 contenders fight to replace Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who is retiring after 23 terms in office. Hoyer has endorsed Maryland state delegate Adrian Boafo, Hoyer’s former aide and campaign manager.
Other noteworthy candidates include Prince George’s County Councilwoman Wala Blegay, healthcare CEO Quincy Bareebe, former Prince George County Executive Rushern Baker, and former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who served at the Capitol during the Jan 6. insurrection.
Polls in Maryland will close at 8 p.m. EDT.
Both candidates in South Carolina’s runoffs hold Trump’s endorsement
Both candidates for the Republican gubernatorial race, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and state Attorney General Alan Wilson, are endorsed by Trump in the Tuesday’s runoff race. Trump endorsed Evette in the June 9 primary, where she received 28.9% of the vote and Wilson received 26.1%.
The winner of Tuesday’s runoff will compete with Democratic state Rep. Jermaine Johnson and Walid Hakim from the Green Party in November.
South Carolina has not elected a Democratic governor is almost 30 years.