General U.S. NewsNov 2, 2026·2 min read

Mamdani’s progressive allies vie for seats in Congress

Al Jazeera – News

1d ago

Mamdani’s progressive allies vie for seats in Congress

Summary

In June, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stood before a packed house of voters, rallying support for a new wave of candidates hoping to build on his progressive momentum by winning seats in Congress. Inside Brooklyn’s historic Kings Theatre, the crowd answered chants of “Abolish ICE (immigration enforcement agency)”, “Tax the rich” and “Free Palestine” with roaring applause, leaving little if any room for doubt about what the audience wanted from its politicians. For the three progressive candidates, the past few months have been a test of how to turn bold campaign promises into policy they can actually deliver. The three congressional candidates’ platforms overlap on issues like abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ending US military aid to Israel and establishing a public healthcare system dubbed Medicare for All. Avila Chevalier’s political rise was similarly shaped by immigration and Palestinian rights, though she has taken a more uncompromising approach. A former union-organiser-turned-state-assemblymember, she supports stronger labour protections, including federal legislation such as the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act to make union organising easier. For Lander, one such measure is banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks. “Maybe that restores a little bit of trust,” Lander said. “People say that’s gross that members of Congress trade stocks. The three would not be the first progressive New Yorkers to enter Congress promising major change. In 2025, Ocasio-Cortez introduced legislation with Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida to cap credit card interest rates at 10 percent, echoing a proposal from Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri. Avila Chevalier is under the microscope after calling for New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to resign over a man being shot in his car by ICE while his child was in the backseat.

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Three New York City progressive Democrats are expected to win their midterm congressional races in Tuesday's election.

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