Letitia James fumes as Mamdani-backed socialists sweep New York primaries

New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, bristled at fellow Democrat Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s growing clout after a slate of socialist candidates rode his endorsement to primary victories Tuesday night.

“Some of the candidates that he has supported are individuals who do not understand the politics of New York City, the cultural differences from district to district, who have not been part of the history and the struggle of some of these districts, and are relatively new to the body politic,” James, who famously prosecuted PresidentDonald Trumpon financial fraud charges, told CNN after the election results came in.

James added that she and other Democratic leaders are “disappointed” in Mamdani.

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“[Black and Hispanic voters] don’t like the trick the DSA is trying to pull in Harlem — using the forces of gentrification to try to supplant our agenda and subvert our priorities,” one Democratic political operative told the New York Post.“Abolishing the police and releasing every prisoner, even rapists and murderers, isn’t progressive.It’s nuts.It isn’t people with a doorman who have the most to lose;we know it’s us, people of color, who are going to suffer most from the DSA’s reckless agenda.”

MAMDANI’S PRIMARY WIN EXPOSES DEMOCRAT DIVIDE AS TOP LEADERS WITHHOLD ENDORSEMENTS

Congressional candidates Claire Valdez, left, Brad Lander, second from left, and Darializa Avila Chevalier, right, raise their hands with Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a Get Out the Vote rally in New York City on June 18, 2026.(Michael M.Santiago/Getty Images)

The dynamic described by the operative played out across New York on Tuesday night as more affluent voters backed candidates affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America, while working-class residents threw their support behind establishment picks.

In New York’s 13th Congressional District, for instance,Mamdani-endorsed graduate student Darializa AvilaChevalier defeated incumbent Rep.Adriano Espaillat.

Espaillat overwhelmingly won lower-income and majority-Black precincts, while his socialist challenger carried areas with higher incomes, more university graduates and younger residents, according to demographic data compiled by The New York Times.In New York City, affluent, college-educated young people are more likely to be transplants from elsewhere in the United States than the general population.

‘PARTY OF ZOHRAN’: MAMDANI EMERGES AS DEMOCRATIC KINGMAKER AFTER SOCIALIST ALLIES SWEEP NYC PRIMARIES

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Brad Lander, candidate for New York’s 10th Congressional District, and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attend a watch party after winning the primary elections in Brooklyn, New York, on June 23, 2026.(Reuters)

Nine Democratic incumbents, among them seven state lawmakers and two congressmen, ultimately lost their seats as a wave of anti-establishment sentiment spurred by Mamdani washed over the state. 

All three of thecongressional candidates Mamdani endorsedahead of Tuesday won their primary elections, with two defeating incumbent representatives and the third defeating the chosen successor of a retiring congresswoman. 

Mamdani was quick to claim credit for the political shake-up.

“We are showing that last June, a year ago tomorrow,was not an anomaly,” the mayor said Tuesday night.“It was not the end.It was the beginning.”

REPUBLICANS PUSH TO MAKE MAMDANI THE NEW FACE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

New York Attorney General Letitia James stands silently during a press conference at the office of the Attorney General in New York City on Dec.15, 2025.(Michael M.Santiago/Getty Images)

James acknowledged that many weredissatisfiedwith the state of the Democratic Party, but warned that Mamdani’s movement could damage their electoral prospects by stoking internal divisions.James told the New York Times that she favors coming to “some sort of understanding” with the socialists to defuse tensions.

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“All of us are a little frustrated with the Democratic Party.But you don’t blow it up,” she said.“That’s what MAGA has done.”

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Some Republicans have cast the socialist victories as aboonfor the GOP, predicting that inflammatory comments made by the political newcomers could damage the Democratic Party’s national branding.