New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani expanded his influence June 23 by sweeping all three Democratic primaries for Congress where he had made endorsements against more mainstream liberal contenders.
The 34-year-old democratic socialist's choices were pitted against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, also of New York, in what will likely be viewed as a big and successful early test at establishing a new faction within the national party.
"The old politics that got us into this crisis is not the politics that’s going to get us out of this crisis," Mamdani said at Valdez's victory party.
Other Democratic primaries to replace longtime incumbents — such as New York's Jerry Nadler and Maryland's Steny Hoyer — also drew attention for further demonstrating the party's generational sea change, including the declining significance of the Kennedy family aura.
All these races were intramural referendums in liberal districts over how to combat the affordability crisis, billionaire interests and President Donald Trump's administration.
People have grown very weary of republican lite as the Dems have been for a while now.