U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman is betting Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s endorsement of Brad Lander won’t be enough to beat him in the NY-10 Democratic primary next month, arguing that a recent City Council race showed the limits of the mayor’s political pull.
Speaking to reporters at a Knicks watch party he hosted in Lower Manhattan on Friday, Goldman said the takeaway from Carl Wilson’s recent victory over Lindsey Boylan, who was backed by Mamdani, was that “people who have been on the ground, doing the work win elections” — a pointed response to a question about whether the result suggested the mayor’s endorsement power had been overstated.
“I understand that the mayor endorsed Brad,” Goldman said, referring to Lander, the former city comptroller and his Democratic primary challenger. “But everybody knows that Brad wanted a job in the mayor’s administration. And the real question is, if he likes him so much, why didn’t he hire him for his administration?”
Lander’s campaign pushed back, saying he is “proud to have Mayor Mamdani’s support” but arguing he will win because of his own record in the district. The campaign pointed to Lander’s work as a tenant activist, nonprofit housing leader, community board member, City Council member and comptroller, and said Goldman had “failed to take on the billionaires and CEOs who are rigging the economy against working people.”
Asked about Goldman’s jab that Lander wanted a job in the Mamdani administration, the campaign did not directly say whether Lander sought a role, instead saying Lander was “proud to cross-endorse Zohran in the primary” and support him in the general election, while accusing Goldman of failing to support Mamdani as the Democratic nominee.
U.S. Congressman Dan Goldman celebrates a Knicks victory during game three of the NBA Playoffs in a Knicks vs 76ers game on May 8 
Goldman attended the Knicks watch party in Lower Manhattan with some of his children on FridayPhoto by Lloyd Mitchell
Rather than attack the mayor outright, Goldman argued that local relationships and district work — not endorsements alone — will decide the primary.
He pointed repeatedly to his support from neighborhood leaders and tenant representatives, saying more than 80% of tenant association presidents across the district’s NYCHA developments have endorsed him. He also cited backing from community leaders in Chinatown, as well as from labor unions and political clubs in Sunset Park and Red Hook.
Goldman, an heir to the Levi Strauss & Co. clothing fortune, used those endorsements to push back on criticism that his personal wealth makes him out of touch with the district — an argument Lander’s campaign has pressed since the race got underway.
The incumbent recently announced he would put $1 million of his own money into the race and match donations dollar-for-dollar. Asked about the criticism around the move, Goldman said scrutiny of his wealth may have been more relevant when he first ran for office, before he had a record to defend.
“This whole focus on wealth or special interests may have been relevant four years ago when I had never been in elected office,” Goldman said. “But look at my record over the past four years, and what you will see is I’m not only aggressively pushing a bold progressive agenda, I am getting stuff done and delivering results for the district.”
“He likes to speak in broad, big terms, but I’m the one who has been doing the work on the ground,” the Congress member said. “The person who’s really out of touch is my opponent.”
Goldman did not provide specific fundraising figures when asked whether his self-funding pledge and donor match had boosted contributions. But he said the campaign had seen growing momentum in volunteers, door-knocking, voter support and fundraising.
“There’s an energy around the campaign that has really been building over the course of the last several months,” he said. “We’re gearing up to sprint over the finish line.”
According to a Goldman-aligned super PAC poll shared exclusively with City & State, Lander led Goldman 47% to 42% among likely Democratic primary voters, including undecided voters who lean toward a candidate, though the lead fell within the poll’s 4.5-point margin of error.
Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks at a Monday rally backing Rep. Dan Goldman’s reelection bid in NY-10, alongside DC 37 and other labor unionsPhoto by Lloyd Mitchell
On Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul, DC 37, and more than 10 other labor unions rallied behind his reelection, with labor leaders framing Goldman as a reliable ally for workers and organized labor.
Lander meanwhile has the support from Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, five of the six City Council members who have endorsed in the race, more than 1,700 volunteers and labor groups including SEIU 32BJ, UAW Region 9A, CWA District 1, PSC/CUNY and Workers United SEIU.
At the rally on Monday, Goldman leaned into the same argument he made on Friday, that voters should judge the race by record and results, not political symbolism.
Asked afterward whether the contest was becoming a proxy fight involving the governor and mayor, Goldman pushed back.
“I can assure you that when I’m knocking doors, nobody is asking me about the governor or the mayor,” Goldman said. “They’re asking me about my agenda.”
Asked whether Mamdani’s influence could penetrate congressional districts, Goldman said voters and unions would make their decisions through their own processes.
Goldman has also sought to keep the race focused on Trump, immigration and congressional power. At Monday’s rally, he leaned heavily on his impeachment background, telling supporters he “wrote the book on beating Trump” and would be positioned to hold the administration accountable if Democrats retake the House.
He also touted his work responding to immigration enforcement actions in Lower Manhattan, saying his office opened a rapid-response triage center for families after arrests at the courthouse.
Goldman said more than 100 people had come through the intake system and that 33 had been released.
“When Dan Goldman sees the assault of the Trump administration on our immigrant community, he is the number one defender, standing up in his power and his voice to stand up for people who are being abused,” said Gov. Hochul on Monday.
Rep. Dan Goldman speaks at a Monday labor rally for his NY-10 reelection campaignPhoto by Lloyd Mitchell
On Friday, Goldman was more measured when asked about Mamdani’s first months as mayor. He said the job is “very difficult,” especially for a new mayor who has not previously run a large organization, but said he agrees with Mamdani’s focus on affordability.
“I agree with his identification of the problems we have,” Goldman said, adding that he is working with the mayor and his team “to make lives better for New Yorkers and to tackle the affordability crisis,” which he called the city’s top issue.
But Goldman drew a sharper contrast with Democrats who try to maintain a cordial relationship with President Donald Trump in hopes of delivering for New York, like Hizzoner.
“It is a little naive to think that you can suck up to Donald Trump in order to get your results,” Goldman said. “I have been studying Donald Trump for many years, since I first impeached him, and like many bullies, he actually responds better when you stand up to him.”
“There’s got to be a little bit of a give and a take,” he added, “but if he thinks that you are a pushover, he will run all over you.”
That warning came in the same gaggle where Goldman struck a notably pragmatic tone about Trump and the proposed redesign of Penn Station.
Asked about the possibility of the Trump administration taking a larger role in the station’s redevelopment — and even the prospect of Trump attaching his name to the project — Goldman said New York should welcome federal money.
“If Trump wants to put $7 billion of federal money to revitalize Penn Station, that’s great,” Goldman said. “New York City will benefit from that.”
Asked about the possibility of “Trump Station,” Goldman said he could live with it.
“If he wants to name it Trump Station in order to do that, it’s fine by me, because at some point it’ll be renamed,” he said.
Goldman said one Penn Station plan he had seen did not include moving Madison Square Garden, the home of the Knicks, though he said he did not know what other plans might entail.
He said he expected a decision “pretty quickly” and added that whatever plan advances would include the Garden “one way or another.”
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
The gaggle unfolded against the backdrop of the Knicks’ playoff run. Goldman hosted the watch party as New York beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-94 to take a 3-0 lead in their second-round series. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 33 points, while Mikal Bridges added 23, and Landry Shamet helped fill the gap with OG Anunoby sidelined.
Asked why sports fandom can be such an effective bond, Goldman said it cuts across political and social divisions.
“Sports is the great equalizer,” Goldman said. “It cuts through partisanship. It cuts through different backgrounds. It cuts through everything.”
“We can disagree about lots of things,” he added, “but we are New Yorkers, and we are Knicks fans, we agree on that, and that bonds us.”