Overview
- Lander kicked off his bid with a video casting himself as a fighter on affordability and immigrant protections and vowing not to do AIPAC’s bidding.
- Goldman’s campaign highlighted his progressive record and focus on immigration while the two-term incumbent retains the advantages of name recognition and personal wealth.
- Progressive groups moved to unify behind Lander, with the Working Families Party endorsing him and City Council member Alexa Avilés withdrawing her prospective challenge; Yuh-Line Niou also said she will not run.
- The contest is expected to feature sharp differences over Israel and Gaza, with Lander critical of Israel’s conduct and supportive of a cease-fire and Goldman defending Israel’s security posture.
- Lander’s activism is likely to be an issue after arrests at 26 Federal Plaza; he has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor stemming from immigration-court protests as DHS says he assaulted and impeded an officer.