Last night was a decisive victory for the left in New York. 

Candidates backed by Mayor Mamdani, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, WFP & DSA were big winners in this election. Voters across New York State sent a very clear message — New Yorkers are hungry for leaders who will challenge the status quo and fight for working people. From New York City to Syracuse to Buffalo, voters rejected complacency and took out incumbents who refused to confront the affordability crisis, defend immigrants, challenge corporate power, and build a government that works for everyday New Yorkers.

New Yorkers are demanding bold change and candidates who are prepared to fight for it are winning.

The New York Working Families Party is a coalition of community organizations, labor unions and individual members, comprising over 257,000 New Yorkers who had a clear goal in 2026: elect champions for working families, expand the power of these champions in the halls of government from Albany to DC to ultimately win real change for working families. Over the last six months, the NYWFP interviewed over 600 candidates seeking the Party’s endorsement, petitioning almost 400 candidates onto the ballot line, powered by a robust volunteer and canvassing program to deliver victories. We worked alongside our partners on the left to build collective power and win big elections – that will certainly support our governing majorities.

Some Highlights for The Democratic Primary

The New York Working Families Party secured major victories last night across the state.

In New York’s 10th Congressional District, longtime Working Families Party member and champion Brad Lander defeated millionaire incumbent Dan Goldman. Lander’s victory was powered by a campaign that centered the working families party agenda: the urgent need to end the genocide in Gaza, protect immigrant communities, challenge the billionaire takeover of our politics, and build a government accountable to ordinary people rather than wealthy interests. The party was a day one endorser of the congressmember-elect and our popular brand proved crucial for Brad’s decisive victory. His win is the latest in a string of Working Families Party-aligned elected officials heading to Congress, following major wins for WFP-backed congressional candidates in California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.

In Queens, Jessica González-Rojas prevailed in a hard-fought challenge to incumbent State Senator Jessica Ramos. Despite facing significant headwinds, González-Rojas built a campaign rooted in community, movement politics, and a vision for economic justice. The Working Families Party made substantial investments, helping to propel her to victory and ensuring that one of Albany’s strongest progressive voices will continue fighting for working families in the State Senate.

In Buffalo, Jon Rivera defeated the incumbent Jeremy Zellner and will join the New York State Senate after years of championing affordable housing, public education, infrastructure investments, environmental protection, and public health. Rivera has been a consistent ally to working families throughout his time in the Assembly, and his move to the Senate strengthens the coalition fighting to make New York more affordable and equitable.

In Syracuse, Maurice “Mo” Brown is on the precipice of delivering one of the night’s most significant victories, defeating a thirty-year incumbent. A U.S. Army veteran, County Legislator, former Working Families Party staff member, and longtime public servant, Brown built a campaign focused on affordable housing, economic opportunity, and reliable transportation. His victory is also a testament to the sustained organizing and electoral investments made by Citizen Action of New York and its members, who spent months building the foundation for this win.

On Manhattan’s Upper West Side, public defender Eli Northrup won an open State Assembly seat after spending his career serving working-class New Yorkers and defending those too often left behind by the system. His election brings another proven advocate for working people to Albany.

Brian Romero is a social worker, longtime NYWFP chapter member, and a former staff member to two NYWFP elected champions. After winning this open seat in Queens, we are now sending him to govern alongside us in Albany. 

Diana Ayala is a longtime public servant, daughter of East Harlem and deeply rooted in serving the most vulnerable New Yorkers. She ousted incumbent Eddie Gibbs by focusing on delivering real wins to the most marginalized communities. 

Alongside DSA, we worked to elect David Orkin, Christian Celeste Tate, Samantha Kattan, Adam Bojak and Eon Huntley to the State Assembly. We also congratulate Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the many community organizing groups and labor unions whose work helped make these victories possible.

Making Meaning of the Moment

These results underscore an important reality: the progressive movement in New York is strong. Last night, incumbent Democrats faced major defeats across the state at every level of government. From wealthy congressional members to state senators who appointed themselves to their position during a special election, New York voters rejected the status quo to elect champions committed to fighting for change.  

Across organizations, leaders and constituencies, we share a commitment to ensuring that every New Yorker can afford a home, access healthcare and childcare, earn dignity at work, and live free from fear regardless of immigration status. Each of these candidates won because they were able to join together a broad coalition reflective of their communities and their commitment to building the left; in different ways to match each district. The vast majority of our energy is spent fighting for these shared goals.

We were incredibly proud to have backed Antonio Reynoso for Congress and Yuh-line Niou for Senate. Antonio & Yuh-line ran grassroots campaigns focused on fighting and delivering for New York working families. Even though their elections were not successful this cycle, we know they will continue to fight for our communities. 

In the weeks ahead, we’ll turn this momentum towards November: continuing to build our WFP bloc by flipping critical state and congressional seats–like NY17–from red to blue, and working to earn hundreds of thousands of votes on the Working Families ballot line to demonstrate the strength of our movement and how we hold elected officials accountable. 

But we know elections are only the beginning. We must help our newly elected champions enter office with all the tools and support they need to be successful. The Working Families Party’s role has always been focused on growing governing power, and transforming electoral victories into policy wins. Last night’s results provide an opportunity to deepen that work and continue building the broad, majoritarian coalition necessary to win universal childcare, affordable housing, quality healthcare, worker protections, immigrant justice, and a more equitable New York.

In Congress, in Albany, and in local governments across New York, the challenge before us is to translate electoral victories into material improvements in people’s lives. The Working Families Party plays a unique role in that effort. Through a disciplined governing strategy, we recruit, elect, and support champions who are committed not only to winning office but to working together to deliver results through durable, Working Families Party aligned majorities. It requires coalition-building. It requires bringing together labor, community organizations, racial justice advocates, reproductive freedom leaders, climate champions, immigrant rights groups, and elected officials around a shared agenda for working people. 

— Jasmine Gripper, New York Working Families Party State Director