Zohran Mamdani Ally Brad Lander To Challenge Dan Goldman From The Left

The Democratic Party’s far-left flank is on offense in New York City on the heels of mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s win in November.

New York City comptroller Brad Lander, 56, launched an insurgent campaign Wednesday with the backing of leading progressives to unseat Democratic New York Rep. Dan Goldman, 49, who represents a swath of lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn that swunghard for Mamdani’s mayoral campaign. The intraparty clash is the latest in more than a dozen Democratic primaries for safe blue seats that are spotlighting stark ideological differences among candidates.

Lander rolled out his campaign with endorsements from Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and the far-left Working Families Party. Mamdani also publicly backed Lander, who cross-endorsed each other when the duo were vying for the Democratic mayoral nomination in June.

“Our mayor can have an ally in Washington instead of an adversary in his own backyard,” Lander says in the launch video.

Mamdani told The New York Times Wednesday that Lander is a “trusted ally” and that he is “proud to support” the outgoing comptroller’s congressional run.

Mamdani notably defeated former New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo by 23 points in Goldman’s 10th district in June.

Lander’s campaign announcement video also touts his work