Three years ago, many New Yorkers insisted that concerns about the Democratic Socialists of America and its growing influence were overblown. The movement’s critics, we were told, were fearmongering. Concerns about anti-Zionism, antisemitism and ideological extremism were dismissed as attacks on progressives who simply wanted a more just society.
Then came Oct. 7. Then came rallies celebrating “resistance” while Israeli families were still identifying the dead. The problem was that too many political leaders excused it.
Which brings us to Brad Lander, New York City’s former comptroller and now the leading challenger to Rep. Dan Goldman in Manhattan’s 10th Congressional District.
This race matters far beyond Manhattan. Across the country, Jewish communities are watching the Democratic Party struggle with the rise of anti-Zionist activism and its increasingly uneasy relationship with mainstream Jewish voters. The Goldman-Lander contest has become a test of how that struggle will be resolved. Whether a strongly pro-Israel Democrat can still prevail in one of the nation’s most progressive districts is a question with implications far beyond New York City.
Lander would like voters to believe he represents a responsible progressive alternative. In reality, he represents a familiar pattern: condemning the most outrageous rhetoric while continuing to empower the people who spread it. To his credit, Lander eventually left the Democratic Socialists of America after the organization’s disgraceful response to Oct. 7. But leaving the organization is not the same as rejecting the political movement it helped build.
Today, Lander proudly campaigns as part of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s political “team.” He endorsed Mamdani. Mamdani endorsed him. That alone should give voters pause.
Mamdani has become the most recognizable face of New York’s anti-Zionist left. His rise was made possible by politicians who assured voters that concerns about ideology were exaggerated. Lander was one of those politicians.
His recent campaign advertisement with another DSA-backed congressional candidate illustrates the problem. When challenged about sharing a campaign message with a candidate associated with anti-Israel activism, Lander embraced the idea of being on the same “team” while denying responsibility for his teammates. That answer may satisfy political consultants. It should not satisfy voters.
Leadership is measured by the allies you choose and the boundaries you defend. Dan Goldman has drawn those boundaries.
Goldman has shown that it is possible to be progressive without capitulating to the anti-Zionist impulses that increasingly dominate parts of the left. He has defended Israel’s legitimacy, spoken forcefully against antisemitism, and represented both his district and the Jewish community with distinction. At a time when too many elected officials hedge, equivocate or remain silent, Goldman has demonstrated a willingness to draw clear lines and defend them.
Lander has chosen a different path. Rather than confronting the forces that have pushed anti-Zionism into the Democratic mainstream, he has repeatedly served as their bridge to political respectability. The rise of New York’s anti-Zionist left is not something that happened to Brad Lander. It is something he helped make possible. At critical moments, he chose accommodation over confrontation and political alliance over principle.
For Democratic primary voters in New York’s 10th Congressional District, the choice could not be clearer. Dan Goldman has consistently confronted these forces. Brad Lander helped legitimize them.
The district should choose Goldman.
