Mamdani win freaks out some Dems about their own primaries
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Zohran Mamdani speaks to supporters during his election night party at The Greats of Craft LIC in the Long Island City neighborhood of New York City, N.Y., on June 24. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Left-wing insurgent Zohran Mamdani's likely victory over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral primary has some Democrats in Congress quietly worrying about their own reelections.
Why it matters: The shock upset against a onetime establishment powerhouse comes as potentially dozens of House Democrats are expected to face anti-establishment primary challenges.
- Progressive Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) told Axios "there was a wake-up-call and a shot across the bow to the establishment and the old guard" with Mamdani's win.
Zoom in: "There's a lot of anxiety," a senior House Democrat told Axios on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal dynamics.
- One senior House progressive told Axios: "I think you'll see about 30% of members face primary challenges. People have anxiety, rightfully so. Their hair is on fire."
- Another senior House Democrat said they "100 percent" think that older, more establishment-oriented lawmakers are concerned about Mamdani's victory.
What happened: The primary was a shocking success for the left. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, had initially polled in single digits while Cuomo dominated the field for most of the race.
- Mamdani could face Cuomo in the general election as an independent, along with incumbent mayor Eric Adams and ex-prosecutor Jim Walden running as an independents and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.
What they're saying: "I think you're going to see a number of young, insurgent progressives with a bold vision running in 2026," Khanna told Axios.
- "One thing I've heard at all my town [hall] meetings is that people want us to fight harder, and that may have been part of the reason why Mamdani won," said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.).
- "Yeah, the voters want us ... taking on the political establishment," said Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), who has repeatedly fended off primary challenges from the left.
What we're hearing: "Trump brings out ... Democratic activists saying things like, 'We don't need a statesman or a stateswoman right now. We need to fight fire with fire,'" said a fourth House Democrat who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
- "'We want to fight crazy with crazy,' I do think that sentiment is definitely out there amongst some of the electorate, for sure," the lawmaker said, predicting there will be "a lot of challenges."
- A fifth House Democrat said they think Mamdani's victory "might be something that emboldens someone to run ... they'll cite him as a reason why they're viable, like, 'No one gave him a chance.'"
By the numbers: Nearly 20 incumbent House Democrats who are either running for reelection or haven't announced their 2026 plans are facing at least one primary challenger, an Axios analysis found.
- Many more could be on the way, with progressive strategists saying they expect another wave of announcements in the week after July 4.
- Of the members facing primary challenges, more than half are 70 or older and facing younger rivals pitching their vigor and desire to fight the Trump administration tooth and nail.
The other side: Several House Democrats cautioned against over-extrapolating the mayoral results.
- "It was an indictment of Cuomo, and it was an indication that people in New York, who are a very liberal crowd, want to see a lot of changes in government," said Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.).
- "New York is a pretty special place," Cohen added. "I love New York, but it's a very liberal place and I don't know that can you can necessarily apply that to the rest of the country."
