Three anti-Israel Democrats win NYC House seats by over 70 points

Three New York City House candidates who criticize Israel strongly won their seats on Tuesday. The Associated Press called the races for Darializa Chevalier, Brad Lander, and Claire Valdez shortly after polls closed. Each candidate defeated their Republican opponents by a margin of approximately 70 points. The victory was expected in these deep blue districts, where the Democratic nominees had secured the party's endorsement earlier in the year.

The path to these general election wins began in June. All three candidates won their primary elections against more moderate Democrats. They received the backing of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during those primary campaigns. Chevalier and Valdez are members of the Democratic Socialists of America, a far-left, anti-Zionist organization. Lander is Jewish and describes himself as a liberal Zionist.

Lander has frequently accused Israel of committing genocide. Last month, Israeli forces briefly detained him while he was picking olives with an activist group in the West Bank. Chevalier took a harder line on the conflict. She attended an anti-Israel rally the day after the October 7, 2023, attack. During her campaign, she declined to condemn Hamas for that invasion.

Chevalier voted on Tuesday just after President Donald Trump announced the United States would end military aid to Israel. She argued that the move was insufficient. "Ending military aid is not enough. We need to end US taxpayer funding for Israel’s war crimes, a full arms embargo, and the Palestinian right of return," Chevalier said. The right of return refers to allowing millions of Palestinians to enter Israel, a move that would end the state's status as Jewish-majority.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also won reelection in her New York City district. She is a leftist critic of Israel. Governor Kathy Hochul won reelection to a second term. She defeated Jewish Republican Bruce Blakeman by more than 20 points. Hochul is a moderate who supports Israel and maintains close ties to Jewish communities. Some Jewish voters objected to her alliance with Mamdani. The two leaders supported each other's campaigns and cooperated on initiatives since Mamdani took office at the start of the year.

Blakeman campaigned by linking Hochul to anti-Zionist protests and Mamdani. Hochul tied Blakeman to Trump, who is unpopular in New York. Hochul defeated Lee Zeldin for governor four years ago. In New York's 17th District, north of the city, Representative Mike Lawler conceded to moderate Democrat Cait Conley. Conley led by about five points with 57% of votes counted. Lawler, who has ties to Orthodox communities in the Hudson Valley, called Conley to admit defeat.

Other moderate Democrats who support Israel won easily in New York City. Hakeem Jeffries, Ritchie Torres, Grace Meng, Micah Lasher, and Greg Meeks secured their seats. Lasher is Jewish. Outside the city, George Latimer won reelection in a district north of New York. Tom Suozzi, another moderate Democrat, led his opponent by 15 points.

The results reflect a split in the New York Democratic Party. Candidates with strong anti-Israel views won in the city alongside moderate counterparts. The general election concluded with decisive margins in the contested House races.