Progressive Brad Lander is aiming to unseat two-term incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman in a contentious Democratic primary for the NY-10 district spanning lower Manhattan and a chunk of brownstone Brooklyn.

The ex-city comptroller and mayoral candidate is betting his durable popularity in the more-populous Brooklyn portion of the district, and his critical stance on Israel, will catapult him to victory in the June 23 vote. He also has the backing of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is especially popular in some of the left-leaning neighborhoods in the district.

Goldman, 50, a millionaire heir to the Levi Strauss fortune who lives in Tribeca, is running on a record of liberal achievements in Congress and as an effective counterweight to President Trump on key issues, especially his weaponization of the justice system.

He is the incumbent and has raised far more money than Lander. Goldman also has strong Democratic bona fides, having led impeachment proceedings against President Trump during his first term.

But most pundits see Lander as a strong rival.

Lander has spent two decades working in local community groups in his Park Slope neighborhood and then as a City Councilmember before winning citywide office. The Brooklyn portion of the district is likely to comprise more than 60% of the primary electorate, and Lander is favored to rack up huge margins there.

“Mathematically, it’s just tough for Goldman,” said Adam Carlson, a Democratic pollster. “On the Brooklyn side, Lander is going to clean up with massive margins. And even in Manhattan it’s not going to be that easy for Goldman to get the numbers he needs.”

A recent independent poll showed Lander leading by a shocking 34% margin, while a survey carried out by a pro-Goldman group showed a smaller Lander edge.

A parade of establishment Democratic leaders like Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Gov. Kathy Hochul have endorsed Goldman’s bid for reelection, which would usually presage a coronation for the incumbent in deep blue New York.

But Mamdani is backing Lander, 56, in a replay of the bromance that helped the upstate assemblymember cobble together a winning coalition in the 2025 mayoral race. Their alliance seemed to fade when Mamdani rebuffed Lander’s reported interest in a top City Hall job, but Lander quickly shifted his focus to the NY-10 race.

The bear hug from Mamdani is a crucial boost for Lander in a progressive-leaning district, especially in a one-on-one race in which other potential left-wing candidates, like Brooklyn Councilwoman Alexa Aviles, are staying out of the race, analysts say.

Mamdani won the Democratic mayoral primary in the district by a landslide 2-1 margin over ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, with Lander himself grabbing another 23%. Significantly, Brooklyn voters comprise about 60% of the district’s electorate, another potent edge for Lander, who has deep roots in the neighborhood.

“Many, many people have voted for Brad multiple times, especially in Brooklyn,” said John Mollenkopf, a City University political analyst who admits being a neighbor in Park Slope.

A recent poll conducted by a pro-Goldman super PAC showed Lander leading by a 5% margin, an edge that increased to 9% among those who say they are certain to vote.

The two rivals are both Jewish but have staked out different stances on Israel in a district that includes one of the largest Jewish populations in the entire nation.

Lander says he is a Zionist and a supporter of the state of Israel. But he has turned sharply critical of the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent months. He has called for an end to all U.S. military aid amid the wars in Gaza and Iran, a shift that some critics note came as he seeks support from a more progressive Democratic primary electorate that is far less supportive of Israel.

Goldman, on the other hand, is a staunch supporter of Israel and even met his future wife at a convention of the conservative American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC.That could be political trouble for many voters in a district that includes progressive-heavy neighborhoods on both sides of the East River.

But Goldman notes that he has criticized Netanyahu for his handling of the Gaza war and partnership with Trump in the Iran war. He vows to continue pushing for defensive Iron Dome funding for the Jewish state, which progressives oppose.

Lander and Goldman have also sniped over their divergent tactics when it comes to pushing back against Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Lander mounted a series of headline-grabbing protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and was detained while trying to protect an undocumented immigrant from being dragged off into detention at a New York court.

Goldman counters that he’s been carrying out quiet yet effective oversight of the facility and has won significant changes to conditions for detainees in the facility.

“His message is: ‘I’m serious. I get things done,'” Carlson said.

Goldman out-raised Lander by an impressive 3-1 margin in the first quarter of 2026 and is pouring a chunk of his personal $255 million fortune into the race. He’s also vowing to personally match campaign donations dollar for dollar.

Lander is counting on backing of left-leaning allies like Indivisible and the Working Families Party, along with a grassroots army of volunteers.

The race was rocked by a Democratic effort to get New York to redraw its congressional districts, which could have folded Goldman’s home turf in lower Manhattan into the more conservative Staten Island-based 11th District, a move that would have likely led Goldman to switch races.

But the U.S. Supreme Court nixed that plan, putting Lander and Goldman back into their NY-12 cage fight.

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