Brad Lander defeats Dan Goldman in New York primary

Brad Lander, the former New York City comptroller backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Sen. Bernie Sanders, has defeated two-term Rep. Dan Goldman for the Democratic nomination in New York’s 10th Congressional District, CBS News and NBC News projected.

The result marks a major win for progressive Democrats in New York City and a setback for Goldman, who entered the race with support from Gov. Kathy Hochul, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and key labor unions. The district covers Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn.

Lander is also the Working Families Party nominee for the 2026 general election.

The primary highlighted divisions among Democrats over Israel, immigration and how aggressively the party should confront President Donald Trump. Lander campaigned against Goldman as a “corporate Democrat” and argued that the incumbent had not done enough to challenge wealthy interests.

“My real beef with [Goldman] is that he’s not taking on the wealthy special interests and billionaires that have brought Trump in the first place,” Lander told CBS News New York’s “The Point with Marcia Kramer.”

Goldman rejected that criticism. “I don’t know what that means,” he said in his own interview with the program. “I have a bill that is called the Robinhood Act, that has interest and support from Republicans, that would make Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, who pay almost no tax and people like them, actually pay significantly more in tax, because our system is rigged, it’s unequal and I’m trying to address that.”

Goldman, a former federal prosecutor, became nationally known as lead counsel during Trump’s first impeachment proceedings in 2019, before he was elected to Congress. NBC News described him as a rising Democratic figure after he narrowly won a crowded primary in 2022 and became a prominent voice against the Trump administration on issues including abortion and immigration.

But Israel became one of his vulnerabilities among Democratic voters, NBC News reported. Goldman, who is Jewish, had support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee as well as the more liberal group J Street, which designated him an “approved” candidate. He sought to present himself as a progressive supporter of Israel, distinguishing criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the war against Hamas in Gaza from calls to block U.S. military aid.

Lander, who is also Jewish, has been far more critical of Israel’s government and its conduct in the war, which he calls a “genocide.” He promised to co-sponsor legislation placing new restrictions on American military aid to Israel and repeatedly cited Goldman’s support from AIPAC while appealing to Democratic voters who have grown more critical of Israel.

Mamdani’s endorsement gave Lander a significant boost, NBC News reported, as allies of the mayor challenged sitting members of Congress and sought to extend his influence in city politics. Lander also drew support from national progressives, including Sanders of Vermont and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

Both candidates campaigned against Trump’s immigration crackdown and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Lander regularly advocated for defendants in federal immigration court and was arrested last year by ICE agents while observing proceedings and, he said, helping escort people out so they would not be detained. He was running for mayor at the time. NBC News reported that a judge this month found him not guilty of misdemeanor charges related to the episode.

Goldman questioned the federal government’s stated goal of removing immigrants with criminal records and pointed to his work to free more than three dozen unlawfully detained immigrants. He also said he confronted masked ICE agents who appeared to be waiting to arrest people after routine immigration court hearings.

Lander leaned on his experience on the City Council and as the city’s chief financial officer, arguing that he was prepared to act quickly in Congress as Democrats seek to oppose the Trump administration.