New York City comptroller Brad Lander, a progressive member of the Democratic Party, campaigned with Democratic Socialist mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani after the two cross-endorsed each other in the city’s ranked choice voting system, and after Mamdani won the Democratic primary in June.
Lander’s support of Mamdani — Lander is Jewish, Mamdani is Muslim — was seen by many to be key in Mamdani’s primary win defeating former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent and had the support of billionaires including former Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
Today, Lander announced that he’s running to become to the next U.S. representative for New York’s 10th congressional district, which is currently represented by Democratic Congressman Dan Goldman, a multi-millionaire who is also Jewish.
I’m running for Congress because we need leaders who will fight, not fold. I recognize this moment, and I’m ready to meet it. #FightDontFold #LanderForNYC #LanderForCongress pic.twitter.com/NsOKYpGpIY
— Brad Lander (@bradlander) December 10, 2025
In the campaign launch video above, Lander says: “I’m running for Congress because the challenges we face can’t be solved with strongly worded letters or high dollar fundraisers. And not by doing AIPAC’s bidding in a district that knows our safety, our freedom, our thriving is bound up together.”
Note: According to AIPAC Tracker, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has spent nearly $480,000 toward Goldman, who did not endorse Mamdani as the mayoral candidate. Lander suggested in his video that if he wins Goldman’s seat, “Our mayor can have an ally in Washington instead of an adversary in his own backyard.”
Goldman was one of a number of prominent New York Democrats who did not immediately endorse Mamdani including Governor Kathy Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of whom eventually endorsed Mamdani. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer did not.