盖茨国会作证：或曾与爱泼斯坦受害者同场

2026年6月24日 15:34 / 联合早报

微软联合创始人比尔·盖茨6月10日在华盛顿国会山接受众议院监督委员会闭门问询后离开会场。 （法新社）

根据美国国会最新公布的闭门访谈记录，微软联合创始人比尔·盖茨日前就他与已故性犯罪者爱泼斯坦的关系作证时，虽坚称从未目睹或参与任何性行为不端，但承认“可能曾与爱泼斯坦的受害者同场”。

美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）报道，美国众议院监督委员会星期二（6月23日）公布了本月早些时候在国会山进行的自愿访谈记录。

在闭门访谈中，民主党众议员加西亚指出，调查显示爱泼斯坦身边一些看似普通员工的女性，后来也被认定是受害者，因此盖茨即使没有直接接触所谓“受害者”，也无法排除曾经与她们接触过。

盖茨说，他曾在爱泼斯坦的飞机上见过几名女性员工，称“我可能曾和受害者同处一室”。

盖茨在证词中强调，他与爱泼斯坦在2011年至2014年间为期三年的关系完全属于“职业关系”，当时他相信爱泼斯坦有能力为全球健康项目筹集数十亿美元资金。

尽管当时已经知道爱泼斯坦曾因性犯罪被定罪，盖茨还是希望和他合作。他说，如今回想起来，后悔当时没有更重视爱泼斯坦的犯罪前科。

他说：“我很后悔，当时没有更大程度地把这一点考虑进去。”

盖茨还透露，爱泼斯坦曾试图拿他的婚外情等个人隐私向他施压。两人于2014年断绝来往后，爱泼斯坦曾发邮件要求盖茨“报销”一名与盖茨有婚外情女性的相关开支，但盖茨拒绝支付任何费用。

盖茨认为，他的一名亲信曾向爱泼斯坦透露过他的两段婚外情。之后，爱泼斯坦在写给自己的邮件草稿中声称，曾协助安排盖茨与女性发生关系，并帮助他隐瞒性传播疾病等情况。对此，盖茨坚决否认，称相关内容都是捏造的。

盖茨国会作证：或曾与爱泼斯坦受害者同场

2026年6月24日 15:34 / 联合早报

微软联合创始人比尔·盖茨6月10日在华盛顿国会山接受众议院监督委员会闭门问询后离开会场。 （法新社）

根据美国国会最新公布的闭门访谈记录，微软联合创始人比尔·盖茨日前就他与已故性犯罪者爱泼斯坦的关系作证时，虽坚称从未目睹或参与任何性行为不端，但承认“可能曾与爱泼斯坦的受害者同场”。

美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）报道，美国众议院监督委员会星期二（6月23日）公布了本月早些时候在国会山进行的自愿访谈记录。

在闭门访谈中，民主党众议员加西亚指出，调查显示爱泼斯坦身边一些看似普通员工的女性，后来也被认定是受害者，因此盖茨即使没有直接接触所谓“受害者”，也无法排除曾经与她们接触过。

盖茨说，他曾在爱泼斯坦的飞机上见过几名女性员工，称“我可能曾和受害者同处一室”。

盖茨在证词中强调，他与爱泼斯坦在2011年至2014年间为期三年的关系完全属于“职业关系”，当时他相信爱泼斯坦有能力为全球健康项目筹集数十亿美元资金。

尽管当时已经知道爱泼斯坦曾因性犯罪被定罪，盖茨还是希望和他合作。他说，如今回想起来，后悔当时没有更重视爱泼斯坦的犯罪前科。

他说：“我很后悔，当时没有更大程度地把这一点考虑进去。”

盖茨还透露，爱泼斯坦曾试图拿他的婚外情等个人隐私向他施压。两人于2014年断绝来往后，爱泼斯坦曾发邮件要求盖茨“报销”一名与盖茨有婚外情女性的相关开支，但盖茨拒绝支付任何费用。

盖茨认为，他的一名亲信曾向爱泼斯坦透露过他的两段婚外情。之后，爱泼斯坦在写给自己的邮件草稿中声称，曾协助安排盖茨与女性发生关系，并帮助他隐瞒性传播疾病等情况。对此，盖茨坚决否认，称相关内容都是捏造的。

Mamdani-backed ‘liberal Zionist’ ousts Dem who led Trump impeachment in bid to take NYC House seat

June 23, 2026 9:22pm EDT / Fox News

The former DSA member’s win marks a victory for NYC’s ascendant progressive wing over a high-profile Trump adversary

By Alec Schemmel

Mamdani backs fellow socialists in NY primaries

New York’s Mayor Zohran Mamdani is backing democratic socialist candidates in the upcoming New York City primary elections. One candidate, Daria Lizar Avila Chevalier, faces scrutiny for radical left policies, including abolishing prisons and ICE. These candidates are also heavily focused on being anti-Israel, accusing Israel of genocide and vowing to block military aid to the Jewish state. This push signals a growing influence of socialist ideals within the Democratic party.

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Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a previous Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, defeated a high-profile Trump impeachment figure in one of the nation’s bluest House seats.

Lander, who describes himself as a “liberal Zionist,” defeated Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., who was the only other Democrat in the House primary race. The deep-blue district spans Lower Manhattan and parts of western Brooklyn, taking in liberal strongholds from Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side to Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope and Sunset Park.

The primary victory for Lander was also a win for the city’s ascendant progressive wing, with Sanders and Mamdani helping Lander take on Goldman, a wealthy former federal prosecutor and high-profile Trump adversary who served as lead counsel during the first impeachment inquiry into the president.

Goldman was first elected to Congress in 2022 after emerging from a crowded Democratic primary in the newly redrawn district. Before entering Congress, he gained national attention as a House Democratic counsel during Trump’s first impeachment and later became a frequent critic of the president on Capitol Hill.

MAMDANI, SANDERS RALLY FOR FAR-LEFT DEMOCRATS AHEAD OF NY PRIMARIES

Brad Lander, former New York City comptroller and US Democratic House candidate for New York, (far left) campaigns at a ‘Get Out the Vote’ rally with Zohran Mamdani and Bernie Sanders ahead of his Democratic Primary race Tuesday.(Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The race became one of New York City’s most closely watched Democratic primaries, with Goldman and Lander clashing over Israel, Gaza, immigration enforcement, housing affordability and how aggressively Democrats should confront President Donald Trump.

During the pair’s campaign blitz, Lander attacked Goldman for voting for U.S. military aid to Israel and slammed him for refusing to call the war in Gaza a genocide. Meanwhile, Goldman defended his support for Israel’s existence as a Jewish state and argued that voters in the district were more focused on domestic issues.

KNICKS OWNER APPEARS TO TAKE SWIPE AT MAMDANI AT NBA CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATION, STIFFS PHOTO OP WITH HIM

The two also sparred over immigration enforcement, with Lander saying he has supported abolishing ICE since 2018. But Goldman accused Lander of using his anti-immigration protest arrest at 26 Federal Plaza, where he and other elected officials were seeking access to inspect ICE holding areas, for political fundraising.

Goldman’s own campaign platform also called to “abolish ICE as we know it,” though the incumbent cast his approach as more institutional than Lander’s, pointing to congressional oversight, litigation and legislation aimed at curbing ICE tactics.

Brad Lander, former New York City comptroller and US Democratic House candidate for New York, (far left) campaigns at a ‘Get Out the Vote’ rally with Zohran Mamdani and Bernie Sanders ahead of his Democratic Primary race Tuesday.(Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

While Tuesday’s Democratic Party Primary in New York’s 10th Congressional District was a test of the city’s growing far-left ascension, it also drew attention because of the split between major New York Democrats, with Gov. Kathy Hochul backing Goldman while Mamdani and Sanders lined up behind Lander.

Lander entered the final stretch with public polling showing him ahead, though Goldman argued he was better positioned to take on the Trump administration from Congress.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks in support of Brad Lander, Democratic candidate for Congress in New York’s 10th Congressional District, in Carroll Park in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn on June 14, 2026, in New York, NY.(Shuran Huang/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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Lander will enter the general election as the heavy favorite in the solidly Democratic district.

Jennifer Moore is running as the Republican and Conservative Party nominee in November.

Mamdani-backed socialist with history of anti-American rhetoric wins vicious Dem primary race

June 23, 2026 10:40pm EDT / Fox News

Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat in a district all but guaranteed to elect her in November

By Peter D’Abrosca Fox News

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A controversial socialist who once called the United States “a f—–g disgrace” and was backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, ousted a five-term Democratic incumbent in New York’s 13th Congressional District.

Darializa Avila Chevalier, 32, is a community organizer who studied at Columbia University where she was known for leftist agitation and her membership in a group called Columbia University Apartheid Divest that would later post “Death to America” on its social media. She defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y. on Tuesday.

Avila Chevalier, who positioned herself further to the left than powerful progressives including former Vice President Kamala Harris, has faced scrutiny for her stance on private property, police, borders and calls to nationalize large swaths of the private sector in now-deleted posts from 2018 to 2022.

Congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier speaks during a Get Out the Vote rally at King’s Theater in New York City on June 18, 2026. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Mayor Zohran Mamdani campaigned alongside her and other candidates ahead of the Democratic primary and early voting.(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

In a 2021 repost, Avila Chevalier said that abolishing borders, prisons and police is “possible, necessary, and the only moral way forward,” and later echoed posts that said “all deportation is wrong” and, “Yes, literally abolish the border,” according to one report.

FROM WASSERMAN SCHULTZ TO GOLDMAN, DEMOCRATIC INCUMBENTS ARE FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL

“This country is a f—–g disgrace,” she said in a post.

“I forgot to get napkins so I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me,” she reportedly said in yet another.

She reportedly called former President Joe Biden a “rapist” and “war criminal,” chastised Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., for his “liberal Zionism,” and said “F–k Kamala Harris.”

Despite this, with Mamdani’s backing and an increasingly left-leaning voter bloc in New York, Avila Chevalier secured the Democratic nomination.

Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., stands outside of Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey. 5/28/26.(Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

MAMDANI REVEALS IN RESURFACED VIDEO HOW ONE OF HIS ‘GREATEST VICTORIES’ BENEFITTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

In a recent debate with Espaillat, who came to the United States illegally before becoming a naturalized citizen and running for office, Avila Chevalier doubled down on her belief that no illegal aliens should be deported from the U.S., even if they have committed violent crimes and served prison or jail time.

She also once blasted Black and Arab men for “fetishizing ugly colonizer women,” referring to white women.

Despite the controversy, Mamdani, who first endorsed Avila Chevalier in May, stuck by his endorsement and tested his socialist coattails.

“When it comes to Darializa’s campaign, I had not seen those tweets and what I’ve heard from her and what I know a lot of others in the district that have heard from her is that her views have evolved and that the campaign she is running on is reflective of what she’s going to be fighting for,” Mamdani said when confronted by the candidate’s controversial comments.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference at the Hotel & Gaming Trades Council building in New York City on July 2, 2025.(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

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“And frankly, when I see a candidate who has a record like she does of freeing New Yorkers who are unjustly detained by ICE, of standing up for the working person who has often been left out of our politics, especially in a district that has so many of the same themes that we’re speaking of today — a fear of displacement, a fear of being pushed out of a place you helped to build — I think that she would be an incredible champion for that district and for the city as a whole,” he continued.

Under its geographic boundaries, NY-13 encompasses Upper Manhattan and part of the West Bronx.

The district has never been represented by a Republican, and Avila Chevalier is all but guaranteed to win November’s general election now that she’s clinched the Democratic nomination.

Peter D’Abrosca is a politics reporter at Fox News Digital.

Trump foe wins crucial Dem primary as 2028 presidential speculation swirls

Moore has consistently ruled out a White House run, saying his political focus is on his home state

June 23, 2026 8:17pm EDT / Fox News

By Paul Steinhauser

Democratic Gov. Wes Moore tells Fox News Digital “I think it is important that people fight” as he highlights his push for congressional redistricting.

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Democratic Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland, whom pundits consider a potential 2028 presidential contender, is one step closer to winning re-election this year.

Moore on Tuesday captured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in the solidly blue Mid-Atlantic state, the Associated Press reports.

Moore and his running mate, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, easily dispatched a primary challenge from Eric Felber and his running mate, LaTrece Hawkins Lytes. Felber, a physician, unsuccessfully challenged Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin in the 2024 primary in the state’s 8th Congressional District.

“Thank you, Maryland! Your votes made this all happen and I am proud to be your Democratic nominee for Governor again. The work doesn’t stop now!” Moore wrote in a social media post.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore speaks during an announcement at the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 16, 2026.(Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run on the same ticket in Maryland.

The Democratic ticket will face the winners of a nine-way Republican primary field.

Moore is running for re-election this year amid speculation that he also is eyeing a run for the White House in 2028, in the race to succeed term-limited President Donald Trump. Democrats are expected to field a large and competitive field in the race for their party’s presidential nomination.

The governor has consistently ruled out running for the White House in 2028, saying that his political focus is on his home state and his 2026 re-election.

But regardless, Moore remains a top Democratic Party surrogate in national politics. And Moore, a 47-year-old Army veteran, who is also a Rhodes Scholar and was CEO of the charitable organization the Robin Hood Foundation during the coronavirus pandemic, is viewed as a rising star in the party.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and President Donald Trump are pictured together in a split image.(Nathan Howard/Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Moore, the nation’s only Black governor, has had a combustible relationship with Trump, which has included very public feuds and verbal sparring, and clashes over policy.

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Earlier this year, Trump initially excluded Moore from a National Governors Association dinner at the White House, charging that the governor was “not worthy” of attending.

Paul Steinhauser covers the national campaign trail from coast to coast for Fox News

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Biden appointee crushes comeback bid by billionaire wine mogul David Trone

Rep April McClain Delaney defeated Total Wine & More founder David Trone in costly Maryland primary

June 23, 2026 11:41pm EDT / Fox News

By Adam Pack

Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer heads to the Big Board to report on Kentucky primary results on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’

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Former Rep. David Trone, D-Md., fell short in his comeback bid to return to Congress after pouring millions of his personal fortune into the race to unseat an incumbent Democrat.

Rep. April McClain Delaney, D-Md., defeated Trone on Tuesday in a bruising primary battle for a gerrymandered House seat in western Maryland, according to The Associated Press.

The intraparty contest was one of the costliest primaries of the 2026 cycle, with more than $32 million spent between both candidates, who had considerable wealth at their disposal to boost their respective campaigns.

It is unclear whether total spending eclipsed the Kentucky primary battle that resulted in the defeat of Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., which recently earned the title of the nation’s most expensive House primary.

Rep. April McClain Delaney, D-Md., speaks during a rally outside National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration headquarters in Silver Spring, Md., on March 3, 2025, opposing recent worker firings.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc.)

DHS FIRES BACK AFTER DEM BILLIONAIRE DAVID TRONE CLAIMS ICE IS ‘EXECUTING PEOPLE’

Trone, the billionaire founder of the alcohol retailer Total Wine & More, put more than $25 million of his wealth into the race. Delaney, a freshman lawmaker who served in the Biden administration, spent at least $7 million of her own money to fend off Trone’s primary challenge for a second House term.

She previously served in the Biden administration as a political appointee in the Commerce Department.

Though both candidates had few policy differences, Trone sharply criticized Delaney for voting for the GOP-authored Laken Riley Act in early 2025. Delaney later said she regretted supporting the law, which requires the detention of illegal immigrants accused or convicted of certain crimes.

Delaney also denounced Trone for touting support from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an advertisement focused on his defense of abortion rights, despite not receiving a formal endorsement.

Trone, who represented the district for three terms, previously bankrolled a failed 2024 Senate bid with more than $60 million of his fortune, losing to now-Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md. He notably endorsed Delaney to succeed him in Congress.

The primary battle between former Rep. David Trone, D-Md., and Rep. April McClain Delaney, D-Md., turned sharply negative and could surpass spending records.(JP Yim/Getty Images for New York Hilton Midtown; Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for MISTR, Free Online PrEP)

FROM WASSERMAN SCHULTZ TO GOLDMAN, DEMOCRATIC INCUMBENTS ARE FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL

Maryland’s Democratic establishment rallied around Delaney’s campaign in a notable display of unity against Trone’s insurgent campaign. Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md., Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and former House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., endorsed Delaney’s re-election campaign.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also backed Delaney’s campaign.

Meanwhile, Trone touted the endorsement of the state’s largest teachers union.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Reps. Don Beyer, D-Va., and April McClain Delaney, D-Md., attend a news conference with Maryland and Virginia congressional Democrats across from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Oct. 14, 2025.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc.)

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Neither Delaney nor Trone reside in the district, which stretches from the rural, Republican-leaning northwestern corner of the state to the heavily Democratic and suburban Montgomery and Frederick counties. Both Democrats live in the affluent Potomac, Md., suburb near Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump came within six points of winning the Democratic-leaning district in 2024, but national Republicans do not view the seat as a top pickup opportunity.

Delaney’s husband, John Delaney, previously represented the seat from 2013 to 2019 before launching a failed campaign for president in 2020.

Dem candidate clears crowded field to face Trump-backed incumbent in NY

2026-06-23T22:17:40-04:00 / Fox News

National parties are expected to pour millions into the race against two-term Trump ally Mike Lawler

By Amanda Macias Fox News

Published June 23, 2026 10:17pm EDT

Rep Mike Lawler: Democrats are ‘throwing away’ values that made America strong and free

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., criticizes what he calls growing anti-Israel sentiment in the Democratic Party, arguing it has left many Jewish Democrats feeling politically homeless. Lawler points to controversial Democratic candidates, including Graham Platner, who faced scrutiny over a Nazi-linked tattoo, and Adam Hamawy, who has drawn criticism over past ties to figures connected to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing case. Lawler says Democrats are abandoning the values that made America strong and free.

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U.S. Army veteran Cait Conley emerged Tuesday from a crowded primary in New York’s 17th Congressional District, setting up a high-stakes general election showdown against Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in a race expected to help determine control of the U.S. House.

Conley defeated four Democratic rivals to secure the nomination and will face Lawler in November.

Lawler, a two-term Republican and ally of President Donald Trump, has previously criticized Conley over her connection to the deadly U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, which occurred during her tenure on former President Joe Biden’s National Security Council.

The Hudson Valley district is among the most competitive congressional battlegrounds in the country and one of Democrats’ top pickup opportunities. National parties and outside groups are expected to pour millions of dollars into the race, viewing the seat as critical in the battle for House control during the final two years of Trump’s term.

VULNERABLE HARRIS-DISTRICT REPUBLICAN BRINGS IN MORE THAN $1M AS DEMS SCRAMBLE TO FLIP SEAT

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., has sharply criticized Democratic challenger Cait Conley over her connection to the deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, which overlapped with her service on former President Joe Biden’s National Security Council.(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images ; Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images)

The Democratic primary drew a five-candidate field with varying political backgrounds and bases of support.

The leading contenders in fundraising, polling and endorsements ahead of Election Day were Conley and Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson.

A third candidate, Tarrytown Trustee Effie Phillips-Staley, positioned herself to the left of her rivals and built support among progressive groups and voters. Also on the ballot were attorney and former journalist Mike Sacks and Air Force veteran John Cappello.

[BIDEN ALUM SEEKING MIKE LAWLER’S NY SWING SEAT RIPPED FOR TIES TO BOTCHED AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL]

Beth Davidson, a Rockland County legislator, was among the leading Democratic contenders in New York’s 17th Congressional District primary.(Peter Carr/The Journal News /USA Today/Imagn Images)

The 17th District in New York spans portions of four counties on both sides of the Hudson River and contains a politically diverse electorate.

The district stretches from affluent, semi-rural communities in northern Westchester County, home to former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; to denser, less affluent areas such as Spring Valley in Rockland County, which encompasses a diverse immigrant community.

The mix of deep-blue Democratic strongholds and reliably Republican enclaves has made the district one of the state’s most unpredictable political battlegrounds — and one where Lawler has repeatedly defied expectations.

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Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., a two-term congressman and ally of President Donald Trump, is seeking reelection in New York’s 17th Congressional District.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Lawler first flipped the district in 2022 and won re-election in 2024, establishing himself as one of the GOP’s strongest performers in a swing district. Republicans have highlighted his bipartisan record and constituent-focused approach, while Democrats argue the district’s political makeup gives them a strong opportunity to reclaim the seat.

Conley primary victory marks the beginning of what is expected to be one of the most expensive and closely watched House races of the 2026 midterm election cycle.

Amanda Macias covers the intersection of business, economics and politics, with a focus on how policy decisions shape markets, businesses and American workers.

Mamdani-backed socialist prevails in crowded primary to replace retiring rep

Valdez defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and City Council Member Julie Won in the primary

2026-06-23T21:30:20-04:00 / Fox News

By Kiera McDonald , Andrew Mark Miller Fox News

Published June 23, 2026 9:30pm EDT

New wave of Democrats emerges as far-left candidates surge in primaries

Former Libertarian presidential candidate Austin Petersen analyzes the growing influence of Democratic socialist candidates in New York primaries, actively supported by NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Petersen argues that the Democratic establishment is “clearly running scared” from this movement, which he sees as a coordinated DSA slate.

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Mamdani-endorsed state assembly member Claire Valdez secured the Democratic nomination Tuesday after defeating a crowded field in the primary for New York’s 7th Congressional District.

The democratic socialist, who had been leading in the polls, defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, City Council Member Julie Won and civil rights attorney Vichal Kumar to fill the seat being vacated by Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y.

Velázquez, the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress, announced she would not seek re-election in November after more than three decades in office.

In an endorsement posted on her campaign website, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani praised Valdez for supporting him during his mayoral campaign and sharing his progressive vision.

HASAN PIKER CELEBRATES AMERICA BEING ‘CLOSER THAN EVER’ TO SOCIALISM AS HE BACKS NYC CANDIDATES

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed state Assembly Member Claire Valdez in the Democratic primary for New York’s 7th Congressional District.(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images ; Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“Claire Valdez stood with me on day one because she understands how change is won — by building power, raising expectations and delivering for working people,” Mamdani said. “She comes from the labor movement and knows how to turn struggle into real gains on housing, health care and workers’ rights. That’s the kind of partner I need in Congress, and why I’m proud to endorse her.”

Velázquez, who also supported Mamdani’s mayoral campaign, publicly slammed the mayor in January after he endorsed Valdez over Reynoso.

“Honeymoons are short, and people need to pay attention to the work at hand,” she told The New York Times.

MAMDANI’S PRIMARY WIN EXPOSES DEMOCRAT DIVIDE AS TOP LEADERS WITHHOLD ENDORSEMENTS

NYPD officers arrest New York City Council member Tiffany Caban and New York Assembly member Claire Valdez (right) along with protesters after they refused to leave the lobby of Sen. Chuck Schumer’s office in Manhattan on Aug. 1, 2025.(Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service)

“Primaries sometimes can be a distraction from the work that you need to do,” Velázquez said, adding that the mayor’s involvement “opens up fights” with the people he governs.

Valdez, a vocal critic of Israel, has called to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), expand universal healthcare, raise taxes on the wealthy, boost affordable housing and strengthen unions.

“It’s a district that doesn’t just want strongly worded letters but a real economic vision to win the working class away from Trumpism,” according to her campaign website.

“That’s what Claire will deliver.”

SOCIALISTS CHEER ‘SHOCKWAVE’ PRIMARY NIGHT AS DSA-BACKED CANDIDATES WIN, ADVANCE ACROSS THE MAP

Rep. Nydia Velázquez holds a “Musk Steals” protest sign with fellow Democrats as President Donald Trump speaks during a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2025.(Win McNamee/Pool/AFP)

Controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker and the Justice Democrats, the progressive group that helped launch Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s insurgent House campaign in 2018, have also thrown their support behind Valdez in the race to represent the district, which spans progressive strongholds across Brooklyn and Queens.

At a Brooklyn rally this month for candidates endorsed by the New York chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, Piker called Valdez and activist Darializa Avila Chevalier, who is seeking to oust five-term incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., in New York’s 13th Congressional District, “giants” of the socialist movement.

“For the longest time, I thought we were so far away from socialism, and we might still be far away from socialism, but we do have an opportunity right here, right now, more than ever before,” Piker said at the rally.

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Piker added that this could be one of many victories for the socialist movement.

“By the end of these midterms, Zohran will seem unremarkable because, by then, we will have elected so many brilliant fighters into legislative offices throughout New York City and the state,” Piker said.

Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack contributed to this report.

Kiera McDonald is a Production Assistant for Fox News Digital.

Longtime Dem incumbent’s chosen successor wins crowded NYC primary as big-name rivals fall short

2026-06-23T22:28:18-04:00 / Fox News

Assemblyman Micah Lasher drew support from Nadler, Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg

By Alec Schemmel Fox News

Published June 23, 2026 10:28pm EDT

Guy Benson sounds off on far-left candidates in NYC as ‘radicals’

Guy Benson critiques the radical platforms of New York City Democratic socialist candidates. He emphasizes Darializa Chevalier’s refusal to condemn Hamas and her extreme views on issues like abolishing ICE and opposing deportations, even for convicted murderers. Benson questions whether New York voters truly support this level of extremism from the far-left.

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New York Assemblyman Micah Lasher won the Democratic primary Tuesday to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler, defeating a crowded field that included anti-Trump lawyer George Conway, Kennedy family scion Jack Schlossberg and fellow New York State Assemblyman Alex Bores.

The race drew outsized attention because incumbent Rep. Jerry Nadler’s retirement created a rare open-seat contest in a Manhattan district he has represented for more than three decades, since 1992.

The crowded Democratic primary featured a mix of local elected officials and national names, including George Conway, a conservative attorney turned high-profile Trump critic who was formerly married to Kellyanne Conway, one of Trump’s top White House advisers during his first term.

TRUMP TRASHES NADLER ON HEELS OF DEM’S HOUSE RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT: ‘ONE OF THE MOST DISGUSTING CONGRESSMAN’

It also featured a run from Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, whose famous family name and large social media following brought national attention to the otherwise hyperlocal Manhattan primary.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y.(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Lasher also fended off a challenge from New York state lawmaker Alex Bores, whose campaign became a test case in the political power of the AI industry after the former computer engineer helped push New York’s RAISE Act, a state-level AI safety law aimed at forcing major developers to publish safety plans and disclose risks tied to the most powerful models.

His push for tougher AI guardrails drew heavy opposition from tech-aligned super PACs, which responded by pouring millions into the race against him, turning the Manhattan primary into a proxy war over whether states should be allowed to crack down on the rapidly growing industry.

MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALIST PREVAILS IN CROWDED PRIMARY TO REPLACE RETIRING REP

Campaign signage for State Representative Micah Lasher, a Democrat from New York and US House candidate, and George Conway, US Democratic House candidate for New York, during a primary election in New York, US, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Tuesday’s votes will test the political strength of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has endorsed several insurgent candidates against Democratic stalwarts.(John Lamparski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Lasher entered the race as the most obvious establishment heir to Nadler, drawing support from the retiring congressman and other major New York political figures. His win would suggest that local institutional backing still mattered in a race where several rivals had stronger national profiles.

Lasher previously worked for Nadler, Gov. Kathy Hochul and served as director of state legislative affairs under former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He entered the race with support from all three, giving him significant backing from prominent New York Democrats.

Micah Lasher campaigns and distributes flyers as he runs to represent Congressional District 12 on Lexington Avenue. Alone with Mr. Lasher, there are three more leading candidates, Jack Schlossberg, Alex Bores, and George Conway running for nomination by the Democratic Party in the primaries.(Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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Lasher will be heavily favored in November’s general election in the solidly Democratic district, which includes some of Manhattan’s wealthiest and most liberal neighborhoods, including the Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Midtown and Chelsea.

GOP voters pick Trump-backed nominee in battle to flip crucial House seat

June 23, 2026 10:39pm EDT / Fox News

The state senator will face first-term Rep. Josh Riley, who won his seat by just over two points in 2024

By Leo Briceno

GOP challenger calls Democrat a ‘hypocrite’ in spat over soaring electric bills

State Sen. Peter Oberacker, R-N.Y., spoke with Fox News Digital about his run for Congress and incumbent Rep. Josh Riley’s ties to the utility industry.

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Peter Oberacker, a Trump-backed Republican New York state senator, won a GOP primary on Tuesday evening, securing the GOP nomination to challenge incumbent Rep. Josh Riley, D-N.Y.

New York’s 19th Congressional District, which encompasses an area north of Manhattan, is one of many competitive seats Republicans hope to flip as they look to maintain control of the U.S. House of Representatives, where they hold a narrow majority.

Despite a historically Democratic bent, Republicans last won the district in 2022.

Oberacker, who has a background in food business, has served as a New York state senator since 2021. In his campaign, he has pitched himself as a pragmatic public servant with a diverse resume.

VULNERABLE HOUSE DEM FACING HEAT FOR ‘DODGING’ QUESTIONS ABOUT SOCIALIST MAMDANI’S RISE

Peter Oberacker stands in front of a tractor.(Peter Oberacker for Congress)

“They say there are two things you should never see being made: laws and sausage. Well, I know both. Service has always called me. As a volunteer firefighter and EMT and as a town supervisor and county legislator,” Oberacker said in a campaign video.

Oberacker received President Donald Trump’s endorsement earlier this year.

“As your next Congressman, he will fight tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Strengthen our Brave Military/Veterans, Advance Election Integrity and Protect our always-under-siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote.

INSIDE THE REPUBLICAN VICTORIES IN SUBURBAN NEW YORK: ‘FED UP WITH ONE PARTY DEMOCRATIC RULE’

The administration’s memorandum of understanding with Tehran has exposed a divide among Republicans over what constitutes victory after the military campaign against Iran.(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Most of Oberacker’s work in the state Senate has focused on rural agriculture, farms and ratepayer energy costs. In the past, Oberacker has introduced bills that looked to ban retroactive bills for businesses and a ban on using taxpayer funds to cover corporate losses. He has also spearheaded calls to investigate climbing utility prices.

“Results matter. That’s why I have introduced several bills as a part of my utility ratepayer bill of rights. This legislation requires transparency and accountability from the utilities and gives power back to people — where it belongs,” Oberacker wrote in a recent post to Facebook.

He has raised just shy of a million dollars, according to Federal Election Commission records.

DEMOCRAT REP JOSH RILEY BLASTED AS ‘HYPOCRITE’ OVER TIES TO ENERGY FIRM HE CRITICIZES ON CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Rep. Josh Riley, D-N.Y., walks toward the U.S. Capitol building.(Getty Images)

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Having cleared the primary, Oberacker now heads to the general election, where he will face off against Riley on Nov. 3.

Riley, a first-term representative, won his seat in a narrow 51.1% to 48.8% victory over Rep. Marcus Molinaro, R-N.Y., in 2024.

Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.

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