Mamdani’s Socialist Movement Targets Top New York Democrats, Including Jeffries
The Democratic Party’s civil war is intensifying in New York City as Zohran Mamdani’s far-left allies plot to take down powerful establishment Democrats — including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — in the 2026 primaries.
According to a report from Fox News, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are preparing to launch primary challenges against a slate of New York House Democrats who they believe aren’t radical enough for their socialist agenda. At the top of their hit list: Hakeem Jeffries, the party’s top man in the House.
Jeffries’ team is responding with fire. Senior political adviser Andre Richardson declared any socialist-backed challengers would face a “forceful and unrelenting” counterattack. “We will teach them and all of their incumbents a painful lesson on June 23, 2026,” he told CNN.
The rise of the radical wing comes on the heels of a shocking upset: 33-year-old Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a Ugandan-born democratic socialist, crushed former Governor Andrew Cuomo and nine others in the New York City mayoral primary just two weeks ago. His victory sent a clear message — the extreme left isn’t just knocking on the door; it’s trying to kick it down.
Mamdani is now poised to become New York City’s first Muslim mayor, running on a platform that makes Bernie Sanders look centrist. With President Donald Trump advancing bold reforms in his second term, including restoring law and order and rolling back overreaching mandates, Mamdani and his allies represent the ideological polar opposite — pushing policies that threaten economic stability, public safety, and American sovereignty.
The DSA wasted no time celebrating Mamdani’s victory, proclaiming in a statement:
“This movement is bigger than one person, election, city, or organization… We encourage all people inspired by the Zohran campaign to join their local DSA or YDSA chapter.”
That “movement” now reportedly has its sights set on other sitting Democrats as well, including Reps. Jerry Nadler, Dan Goldman, Yvette Clarke, and Ritchie Torres — all of whom represent New York City districts and have shown little interest in embracing full-throttle socialism.
Jeffries has long been criticized by the radical left for being too moderate — or simply not progressive enough. Gustavo Gordillo, co-chair of NYC’s DSA chapter, told CNN: “His leadership has left a vacuum that organizations like DSA are filling.”
DSA state Sen. Jabari Brisport — who represents parts of Brooklyn that overlap with Jeffries’ district — echoed that sentiment in a Fox News interview, warning that Jeffries is “rapidly growing out of touch with an insurgent and growing progressive base.”
Even as President Trump continues to restore America’s economic footing and reassert global strength, the far-left seems more committed than ever to dragging the country in the opposite direction. Jeffries’ team, meanwhile, is attempting to paint the Trump administration’s reforms as “extreme,” accusing the President of having “ripped health care away from millions of Americans” — a baseless claim typical of Democrat fearmongering.
The internal fight is heating up ahead of November, where Mamdani will face Republican Curtis Sliwa in the general election. Former Mayor Eric Adams and ex-Governor Andrew Cuomo are both expected to appear on the ballot via minor party lines, according to the New York Post.
State Assemblywoman Phara Souffrant Forrest, a DSA member whose district overlaps with Jeffries’, also fired shots at the House Democrat. Responding to his warning, she posted on X:
“Weird threat to make since Hakeem already went after @JabariBrisport and I. How’d that go for him, again?”
She followed up with a not-so-subtle reminder of her 2022 victory:
“2022 Primary Results: SD 22 Jabari Brisport: 70.4%. AD 57 Phara Souffrant Forrest: 67.2%. If the leader wants another public beatdown, he knows where to find me.”
As New York Democrats fight among themselves, voters across the nation are seeing just how fractured — and radicalized — the modern Democrat Party has become. With socialists openly targeting the party’s own leadership, the question isn’t whether they’ll pull the party further left — it’s whether there will be anything moderate left to salvage.