Progressive challengers oust two House Democrats in New York, Denver primaries

Party leaders weigh base energy against moderate district appeal

Democrats have long struggled with how to reenergize their base, and this year’s primaries have revealed deep frustration with the party establishment, NPR political reporter Elena Moore said in a Friday radio segment.

In recent high-profile upsets, voters in Denver and New York City ousted sitting Democrats they considered insufficiently left-wing, Moore reported. One of the most notable challenges came from Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist from New York, who defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Espaillat had been backed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, making the loss a signal of voter frustration with the establishment, Moore said.

The primary challengers are running on a core set of issues, Moore said. “They want the party to adopt ambitious economic policies to address the affordability crisis,” she said. They also criticize elected Democrats for taking donations from corporate political action committees and pro-Israel lobbying groups.

“One thing that made that such a big deal is Espaillat was backed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries,” Moore said. “So his loss may underscore that frustration a lot of voters are feeling with the establishment right now.”

Despite the apparent success of that message, not all Democrats are embracing the more leftist candidates. Some worry that positions held by candidates like Avila Chevalier will muddy the party’s broader message, Moore said. On her campaign website, Avila Chevalier calls for abolishing the “deportation machine,” and she is one of several candidates who have faced criticism that their opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza borders on antisemitism, Moore reported. The candidates deny those charges.

At the same time, some Democratic leaders see the value in the energy these candidates generate. On Thursday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan’s Democratic primary for Senate. El-Sayed is a progressive, not a democratic socialist, but he is one of several candidates being painted as too extreme by Republicans, Moore said.

That dynamic represents a balancing act for Democrats, Moore said. “They think focusing on the economy is a winning message, but they don’t want voters distracted by other issues, and that’s what Republicans are going to try to do.”

The party needs to win in moderate districts to retake the House, but it also needs to engage young voters in liberal cities, where the progressive candidates have been more effective. “It’s a balancing act,” Moore said. “And if Democrats win, there’s the question of whether they can all work together.”