Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) has been defeated in the Democratic primary for New York’s 10th Congressional District, which covers Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn.

The race, which former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander dominated by roughly 30 points, highlights the divide in the Democratic Party over Israel and the influence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

“Backed by Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani, Brad Lander just pulled off a major Democratic primary upset. The Former New York City Comptroller defeated Rep. Dan Goldman, the former federal prosecutor who served as lead counsel during the first impeachment inquiry into President Trump,” Fox News wrote.

“Goldman was first elected to Congress in 2022 after winning a crowded Democratic primary in the newly redrawn district. The victory is being seen as a win for the Democratic Party’s progressive wing in one of the bluest congressional districts in the country,” it added.

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NBC News has more:

Lander won in New York’s 10th Congressional District amid a wave of challenges from Mamdani allies to sitting members of Congress as Mamdani looks to build on his momentum from last year’s election and further reshape the city’s politics.

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Goldman is the fifth House incumbent to lose a primary so far in 2026, as a swath of voters express frustration with their party’s leaders.

Goldman had been seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party because of his high-profile role as lead counsel during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial. After he narrowly won a crowded primary in 2022, he has been a prominent voice fighting the Trump administration on issues like abortion and immigration. He also leaned on his personal wealth in the primary and touted endorsements from Gov. Kathy Hochul, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and key labor unions.

But his greatest vulnerability among Democratic voters in a district that pushes down into the rapidly gentrifying corners of Brooklyn was on the issue of Israel. Goldman, who is Jewish, is supported both by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a bipartisan group that has drawn the ire of progressives, and the more liberal group J Street, which also designated him an “approved” candidate.

Goldman sought to style himself as a progressive supporter of Israel, seeking to separate criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the war against Hamas in Gaza from calls to block military aid to the country.

Lander criticized Goldman for not standing up to billionaires and campaigned on providing stronger opposition to the Trump administration.

He labeled Goldman as a “corporate Democrat.”

“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 said, according to CBS News.

Lander said part of his victory over Goldman says “Democratic voters want to reset the U.S. relationship with Israel.”

“They don’t want a foreign policy that compromises on anyone’s humanity,” he added.

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CBS News shared further:

“I don’t know what that means,” Goldman responded during his own interview. “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.”

Both campaigned heavily against Mr. Trump’s immigration crackdown and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Lander was arrested by ICE agents last year while observing immigration court and, as he claimed, helping escort people out so they were not taken by ICE. He was running for mayor at the time.

Goldman has questioned the federal government’s stated goal of getting rid of immigrants who are criminals and touted 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.

 

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