Overview
- Lander announced his campaign in a video that casts him as a fighter against wealthy influence and AIPAC, highlighting affordability, civil liberties, and immigrant protections.
- He touts endorsements including Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, the Working Families Party, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, and Assemblymember Robert Carroll.
- Lander’s activist credentials, including arrests at 26 Federal Plaza protesting ICE actions, feature prominently in his message, with earlier charges dropped and a later case moving forward after a not-guilty plea.
- Goldman, a wealthy incumbent and former Trump impeachment counsel, signals he will emphasize his progressive record and has the capacity for significant self-funding after spending nearly $5 million in his 2022 primary.
- Progressive groups are jockeying for alignment, with the WFP endorsing Lander, the local DSA backing Councilmember Alexa Avilés, and former Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou saying she will not run to avoid splitting the anti-Goldman vote.