United States Of 'Mamdani-Stan'? All 3 Zohran Mamdani-Backed Candidates Win Midterms

All three congressional candidates backed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani have won the US midterm elections and converted a clean sweep in the Democratic primaries into three seats in the House of Representatives.

Their victories have given substance to the expression "Mamdani-stan", used to describe the growing reach of the democratic socialist politics that carried Mamdani to the mayoralty of America's largest city.

Brad Lander, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez won their respective New York contests, extending Mamdani's influence beyond City Hall and placing his political coalition inside Congress.

Lander won New York's 10th Congressional District after defeating two-term incumbent Daniel Goldman in the Democratic primary in June. Avila Chevalier won the 13th District, having displaced Adriano Espaillat, while Valdez secured the open seat in the 7th District.

But the results are not endorsements followed by victories in safe Democratic constituencies as all the three candidates emerged from primary contests that challenged established figures or their preferred successors, before carrying that kinetic energy into the November election.

In June, the three primary wins had established Mamdani as a Democratic power centre in New York which the midterm results have validated now.

The midterms' New York results also formed part of a larger, nationwide Democratic victory that took control of both the House and Senate by flipping at least four Senate seats, including contests in Republican strongholds such as Texas, Kansas and South Carolina.

Senator Bernie Sanders described the results as "some of the greatest progressive victories in modern American history". "All across the country, in rural and urban areas, Americans said NO to oligarchy, and YES to an agenda that fights for the working class," Sanders wrote on Instagram.

His list included Lander and Valdez among the House winners.

He also congratulated Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed, Peggy Flanagan and Troy Jackson, along with congressional candidates across Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Montana, New Jersey, Colorado, Michigan, Ohio and California.

Lander, a former New York City comptroller, defeated Goldman after a primary campaign in which the Middle East war became a central issue. Lander opposed further US military assistance to Israel while Goldman was supported by pro-Israel groups including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Avila Chevalier entered the race without previously holding public office. A a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, she had helped organise pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University before defeating Espaillat in the 13th District primary.

Valdez first defeated Antonio Reynoso in the contest for the seat vacated by Nydia Velazquez and her eventual midterm victory completed the Mamdani-backed sweep across the three districts.

The new Congress will take office in January with the party controlling both chambers during the final two years of US President Donald Trump's term which will see an altered state in the balance of power in Washington.

"It's morning again in America," Mamdani wrote a brief post on the massive wins.