Jewish Democrats in New York managed to avoid adding another progressive candidate whose position on Israel and BDS had elicited concerns over the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primaries.
Levi Strauss heir and former federal prosecutor Dan Goldman—also of the Goldman Sachs family—won the open race for New York’s 10th Congressional District, beating his nearest rival, New York state assembly member Yuh-Line Niou, by only 1,306 votes, with 25.8% to Niou’s 23.7%.
Goldman’s victory came in part because of his consolidation of Orthodox Jewish voters, while Niou faced a litany of questions over her positions on Israel.
During a primary debate late last week, Niou said that she would oppose a resolution in Congress against the BDS movement, according to the New York Post, saying she “would not vote for anything opposing the BDS movement’s right to exist.”
Earlier this month, Niou also upset pro-Israel voters when it was reported by The Forward that she planned to host an Aug. 18 fundraiser featuring a Palestinian comedian who has called Israel “a terrorist state.”
The race drew 13 candidates to compete for the seat with four candidates breaking into double digits for the percentage of votes they received. One of the candidates was current Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), who entered the district after the state’s redistricting was approved. Jones finished with 18.2% of the vote and New York City Council member Carlina Rivera finished fourth with 17%.
The district covers lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, including Borough Park, and incorporates a large Jewish population.
Because of the closeness of the race, Goldman was only officially called the winner by the Associated Press on Wednesday morning. He instead declared victory himself on Tuesday night, saying that it was clear from the results that had come in that he had won.
“Tonight is not a victory for myself or any one person. It is a victory for all of us,” Goldman said during his victory speech. “All of us who will not let authoritarian forces undermine the foundation of our democracy and the rule of law. It is a victory for all of us who are determined to fight for our fundamental rights to expand abortion access throughout the country, to fight for our planet, and to protect our children and neighbors from the scourge of gun violence and hate crimes in our society.”
The AIPAC-affiliated SuperPac United Democracy Project was quick to congratulate Goldman on the victory, emphatically calling Niou anti-Israel.
“We are proud to have played a role in defeating Yuh-Line Niou—an anti-Israel candidate who endorses the BDS campaign against Israel—through our significant support of a local New York SuperPac,” UDP Wrote in a statement.
‘Fight for our values and protect democratic freedoms’
In New York’s 12 Congressional District, incumbent Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), who is chair of the House Judiciary Committee, defeated fellow incumbent Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, to earn his 16th term in Congress.
The two longtime colleagues were pitted together after New York’s congressional districts were redrawn following the 2020 census, with New York losing a seat. The new district covers both the west and east sides of Manhattan.
Nadler won by a wide margin of 55.4% of the vote to Maloney’s 24.4% and newcomer Suraj Patel’s 19.2%.
Both Nadler and Maloney ran as progressives. Nadler was endorsed by AIPAC and J Street.
J Street took ownership of the victory in a news release. J Street Action Fund said it spent $200,000 supporting Nadler and nearby New York’s 16th Congressional District incumbent and “Squad” member Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), who also won his primary race with a majority of the vote.
“Reps. Nadler and Bowman have shown strong and principled pro-Israel, pro-peace leadership, so it’s great news they’ll both be returning to Congress,” said Kevin Rachlin, J Street vice president of public affairs. “We’re thrilled for them to be joined by a slew of incoming champions who we know will fight for our values and protect democratic freedoms both at home and abroad.”
Goldman will face Republican challenger Benine Hamdan in November in a safe Democratic district. Nadler will take on Republican nominee Michael Zumbluskas and is also expected to win handily.
A district that is likely to be at least slightly more competitive is the race for New York’s 11th Congressional District, which covers Staten Island. Incumbent Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) easily defeated her primary challengers in the district’s Republican primary winning with 78% of the vote. In the general election, she will face the Jewish, Democratic primary winner and former congressman Max Rose, who she unseated in the 2020 general election. Rose won his primary with 75% of the vote.
According to Professor Larry Sabato’s Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, the district is rated likely Republican.