As New York, South Carolina, Maryland, and Utah hold primary elections, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and former President Donald Trump test their political influence within their respective parties.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City and former President Donald Trump are not on the ballot, but their political influence will be scrutinized as four states—New York, South Carolina, Maryland, and Utah—hold crucial primary elections and runoffs.
Trump, aiming to consolidate his influence, made a late endorsement in the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial runoff, backing both candidates vying to succeed term-limited Republican Governor Henry McMaster. This dual endorsement reflects Trump’s strategy to hedge his bets in a competitive race.
Meanwhile, Mamdani is testing the boundaries of his political power just one year after his surprising victory in the New York City Democratic primary, which propelled him to the mayoralty of the nation’s largest city. The 34-year-old socialist mayor is supporting a slate of candidates in the primaries, including several left-wing congressional challengers who are taking on the Democratic establishment.
At the forefront is Darializa Avila Chevalier, a political organizer and Mamdani-backed candidate challenging Rep. Adriano Espaillat, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in New York’s 13th U.S. House District. Chevalier, 32, believes a victory could catalyze a broader “socialist power” movement across the country.
Espaillat, 71, has been in Congress for a decade and is backed by prominent party leaders, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul. Mamdani is also supporting former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is challenging incumbent Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman in the 10th Congressional District, which includes parts of Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. Goldman has the backing of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
In New York’s 7th District, which encompasses parts of Brooklyn and Queens, Mamdani has endorsed state Assembly Member Claire Valdez, who is competing against Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, supported by retiring Rep. Nydia Velazquez. Valdez, Avila Chevalier, and Mamdani are all members of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Valdez has expressed that voters are seeking Democratic candidates who demonstrate moral clarity on issues such as Israel. The three congressional primary races have highlighted anti-Israel sentiment, with Mamdani recently referring to AIPAC, a leading pro-Israel lobbying group, as “monsters.”
“This is the team. This is our year. It’s up to all of us to get them over the finish line,” Mamdani stated in a social media post ahead of a rally with the three candidates and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a prominent progressive figure and two-time Democratic presidential nominee runner-up. At the rally, Mamdani emphasized the need for change within the Democratic Party.
The stakes are high for Mamdani, who could either emerge as a kingmaker or see his political influence diminished. He has garnered significant support from the far left over the past year and a half, and even former critics, including Governor Hochul, have become allies. Notably, Trump, who previously labeled Mamdani a “communist lunatic,” praised him during a November Oval Office meeting, calling him a “very rational person” who would do a “really good job.”
Longtime Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo remarked, “It’s crystal clear that Mamdani understands power and how to leverage it. He remains incredibly popular, and it appears he also understands that may not always be the case. That’s why I think you see him flexing his political muscle now. It’s smart politics.”
The candidates supported by Mamdani, including those running for state legislative offices, are primarily focused on affordability in a city known for its high cost of living. His backing of the trio of congressional candidates, coupled with the rally featuring Sanders, provides Republicans with additional ammunition to portray Mamdani as a radical, particularly as they aim to maintain their slim House majority in the upcoming midterm elections.
“Zohran Mamdani’s socialist brand is as toxic as it comes,” stated Mike Marinella, National Press Secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “During a time when Democrats don’t have a leader or a message, he’s exactly the kind of bogeyman we can use against Democrats to truly show who is leading their party and the crazy policies they all support.”
In South Carolina, Trump recently announced his support for both longtime state Attorney General Alan Wilson and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in the race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination. “I can’t hurt one of them by only endorsing the other, so, therefore, I am going to endorse, for Governor of South Carolina, both Pam Evette and Alan Wilson!” Trump wrote, adding, “With either one you can’t go wrong.”
This dual endorsement appears to be a strategic move by Trump to cover his bases, as he had already endorsed Evette, who is also supported by McMaster, a longtime ally. The South Carolina runoff is viewed as a test of Trump’s influence over the GOP and the effectiveness of his endorsements in Republican primaries.
Trump’s decision to endorse both candidates is not unprecedented; he previously endorsed “ERIC” in the 2022 GOP Senate primary in Missouri, where both candidates claimed the endorsement. In South Carolina, Evette topped a crowded primary field, with Wilson coming in second. Since no candidate secured a majority, the top two finishers advanced to the runoff.
In the wake of Trump’s endorsement, Wilson has been joined on the campaign trail by conservative Senator Ted Cruz, while Evette has positioned herself as an outsider and a Trump-endorsed businesswoman.
In New York, Trump’s endorsement carries weight in the race to succeed retiring Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, where he is backing first-time candidate Anthony Constantino, a businessman and former boxer, against Robert Smullen, a retired Marine Corps colonel and New York assemblyman who has the backing of the state party.
Additionally, incumbent Rep. Jerry Nadler’s retirement has opened up his Manhattan district for the first time since 1992, attracting notable Democratic candidates, including Assembly members Alex Bores and Micah Lasher, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, and former conservative lawyer George Conway. Nadler has endorsed Lasher.
In New York’s 17th Congressional District, five Democrats are competing in a primary that will determine who faces GOP Rep. Mike Lawler in a pivotal general election race that could influence the balance of power in Congress.
Meanwhile, in Utah, voters will nominate candidates for Congress under a new map that has created a Democratic-friendly district in Salt Lake City, complicating the reelection plans of the state’s all-Republican delegation. In Maryland, Democratic Governor Wes Moore faces a longshot primary challenger as he seeks reelection amid speculation about a potential 2028 presidential campaign.
According to Fox News, the outcomes of these primaries could significantly impact the political landscape in both parties.