The battle between the left and moderate wings of the Democratic Party are on full display in three consequential congressional races where Mayor Zohran Mamdani has weighed in with critical endorsements.
But the fight to represent New York in the House is not the only place where that dynamic is playing out. In state legislative races for the Senate and the Assembly, Mr. Mamdani has also carefully weighed in by endorsing left-leaning candidates while staying out of races where Democratic incumbents are involved.
The New York City Democratic Socialists of America had no such qualms, endorsing against incumbents and pushing into rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods where socialist candidates did not stand a chance just a few years ago.
Mr. Mamdani, said Patrick Gaspard, an adviser, is “maintaining his sense of urgency and taking seriously his responsibility as the leader of a movement” with his endorsements.
But as this is New York politics, there are also races that are driven by lesser powers: money, ambition and even petty grudges.
“Everybody in the Democratic Party mostly agrees on most of the same things,” said Yvette Buckner, a Democratic political strategist. “We just don’t agree on the strategy about how to get there.”
As voters head to the polls today, here a few state races to watch.
Senate District 13 in Queens
Senator Jessica Ramos, a progressive, is battling for her political life. Last year, Ms. Ramos shocked onlookers by endorsing the moderate former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, whom she had previously criticized sharply over allegations that he sexually harassed 11 women. The move caused some labor and progressive groups to abandon Ms. Ramos, leaving her in the political wilderness and opening up a lane for another progressive, Assemblywoman Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, to challenge her in a primary.
Senate District 25 in Brooklyn
While the D.S.A. is challenging several Democratic incumbents throughout the state, the group is trying to defend this seat in Bedford-Stuyvesant held by Jabari Brisport. Mr. Brisport, a close ally of Mr. Mamdani, is facing a challenge from Marlon Rice, a community organizer. The contest has focused on affordable housing, deed theft and the displacement of Black residents. More than 200,000 Black residents have left the city in the last two decades. Mr. Rice has argued that Mr. Brisport has not done enough to tackle issues like deed theft during his six years in office because he is too focused on the national democratic socialist agenda. Mr. Brisport has pointed to legislation he sponsored and passed extending the statute of limitations on deed theft.
Senate District 27 in Manhattan
Senator Brian Kavanaugh’s decision not to seek re-election has reignited an old feud. Assemblywoman Grace Lee and former Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou have faced off repeatedly over a Lower Manhattan Assembly seat that Ms. Lee currently holds. Now Ms. Lee, who is backed by Mr. Kavanaugh, Attorney General Leticia James and Gov. Kathy Hochul, will compete once more with Ms. Niou, who has earned the endorsement of the Working Families Party.
Assembly District 38 in Queens
From the beginning of Mayor Eric Adams’s administration to its scandal-scarred end, Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar stood by his side — often literally. Now the price of loyalty is being tested by the D.S.A.-backed David Orkin, who is hoping to unseat Ms. Rajkumar. Mr. Orkin’s supporters have accused Ms. Rajkumar of Adams-style impropriety such as buddying up to authoritarian leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and falsifying of petition signatures. Mr. Orkin is backed by the D.S.A. and the Working Families Party.
Assembly District 54 in Brooklyn
The D.S.A. has been attempting to oust the incumbent Assemblyman Erik Dilan from his seat for years now. Mr. Dilan is trying to beat back his third challenge from the left. This time, both the D.S.A. and the Working Families Party have endorsed Christian Celeste Tate, an anti-poverty organizer. But Mr. Dilan has secured the support of powerful unions in his re-election bid.
Assembly District 56 in Brooklyn
Eon Huntley, a democratic socialist who came within a few hundred votes of beating the incumbent, Stefani Zinerman, in 2024, is once again challenging her. Ms. Zinerman again has the support of Democratic heavyweights such as Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader in the U.S. House, and Ms. James, the state attorney general. As he did two years ago, Mr. Huntley has argued that Ms. Zinerman has not done enough to focus on affordability for residents of the district. Ms. Zinerman has focused on her experience, arguing that the D.S.A. is trying to take power from people who have been fighting to improve their neighborhoods for decades.
Assembly District 69 in Manhattan
Micah Lasher’s bid for Congress has left an opening for a plum Upper West Side Assembly seat. Here Stephanie Ruskay, a rabbi with establishment support, is facing Eli Northrup, a public defender who has won the endorsements of progressives like Mr. Mamdani and Bernie Sanders, as well as some who tend more toward the center, like Representative Pat Ryan in the Hudson Valley.
Assembly District 70 in Manhattan
In Central Harlem, Conrad Blackburn, a public defender in the Bronx, is challenging Jordan Wright, a one-term incumbent and the son of Keith Wright, the chairman of the Manhattan Democratic Party. Echoing the state races in Brooklyn, Mr. Blackburn has criticized Mr. Wright for not doing enough to stem the housing and affordability issues affecting Central Harlem. “He’s not outside organizing with the community,” Mr. Blackburn said. Mr. Wright has leaned on his family’s history and connection in the neighborhood as proof of years of advocacy. “People didn’t just see me when I decided to run for office,” Mr. Wright said.
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