The Brief

  • Sen. Bernie Sanders was in Brooklyn on Thursday to support three Democratic Socialist candidates for Congress.

  • Brad Lander, Assembly member Claire Valdez and Darializa Chevalier are all campaigning as anti-establishment Democrats.

  • New York’s primary elections are next week.

NEW YORK – Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders received a warm welcome at the Kings Theater in Brooklyn Thursday, as he rallied support for three Democratic Socialist congressional candidates ahead of next week’s New York primary elections.

What we know

The stakes are high this election cycle, as Democrats are trying to regain power in Washington in November’s midterms. Republicans hold a three-seat majority in the House and an eight-seat advantage in the Senate.

Sanders was in Brooklyn alongside Mayor Zohran Mamdani to support candidates Brad Lander, Assembly member Claire Valdez and Darializa Chevalier, who are all campaigning as anti-establishment Democrats.

These Democrats are also hoping to build on Mamdani’s historic victory in 2025.

What they’re saying

Sanders credited a rise in the tide for progressive candidates across the U.S. to voters’ frustrations with the economy.

“Why are progressive and socialist candidates winning elections all across this country,” Sanders asked. “The answer, in my view, is not complicated. The working class of America understands that our current economic system is rigged.”

This push for progressive Democrats is something the mayor and Sanders hope will be effective in the midterms as well. Mamdani at Thursday’s rally said that “the race for 2028… starts now.”

David Birdsell is a political analyst and provost at Kean University. He says that there is “a clear vein of strength for progressives across the United States,” but it’s not clear how the endorsement of other progressives like Sanders or New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would have.

Several voters, however, told FOX 5 NY that labels don’t matter as much as the issues do.

One voter said he’s prioritizing “taxes, transportation [and] healthcare.”

Another said “we want fast and free buses. We want education. We want health insurance.”

What’s next

New York’s primary election day is Tuesday, June 23. Early voting began on Saturday, June 13.

The Source

Information in this story is from Sen. Bernie Sanders, David Birdsell, and voters at Thursday’s rally.