<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-0"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">Deep-blue New York City is no one’s idea of a midterm battleground. But as primary season heats up, the Big Apple is about to play a big role in Democrats’ ongoing identity crisis.</p><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">New York has long figured in the party’s psyche. It is home to <strong class="css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10">Representative Hakeem Jeffries</strong> and <strong class="css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10">Senator Chuck Schumer</strong>, the House and Senate Democratic leaders, as well as <strong class="css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10">Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</strong> and <strong class="css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10">Mayor Zohran Mamdani</strong>, whose <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/nyregion/how-zohran-mamdani-won-nyc-mayor.html" title="">upset victory</a> last fall helped revive the socialist left.</p><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">Now, establishment and left-wing leaders are battling for supremacy in half a dozen House seats scattered across the city. With a Kennedy scion trying to revive Camelot and super PACs funded by rival A.I. behemoths in the mix, the drama sometimes feels big enough to fill a Broadway stage.</p><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">This evening, let’s walk through some of the most competitive contests, which will culminate in June primary elections.</p></div><aside aria-label="companion column" class="css-ew4tgv"></aside></div><div data-testid="Dropzone-1"></div><div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-1"><div class="css-53u6y8"><h3 class="css-xbcl5e e1gnsphs0" id="link-7bd134a8"><span><strong class="css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10">A Kennedy takes a big swing in Manhattan.</strong></span></h3><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0"><strong class="css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10">Representative Jerrold Nadler</strong>’s <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/nyregion/jerrold-nadler-congress-retires.html" title="">decision to retire</a> opened a seat in the heart of Manhattan for the first time in decades. In a district that is home to news media empires and Democratic megadonors, his successor can count on a national platform on Day 1.</p><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">What is notable is how differently the leading candidates, who generally agree on policy matters, propose to use that platform.</p><div class="css-kbghgg"><div class="css-121kum4"><div class="css-171d1bw"></div><div class="css-asuuk5"><noscript><div class="css-7axq9l" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="css-1b5b8u1" data-tpl="i" height="24" viewbox="0 0 24 24" width="24"><path clip-rule="evenodd" d="M2.5 12a9.5 9.5 0 1 1 19 0 9.5 9.5 0 0 1-19 0Zm8.5 1.75v-7.5h2v7.5h-2Zm0 2v2h2v-2h-2Z" fill="currentColor" fill-rule="evenodd"></path></svg><div class="css-6yo1no" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript-message"><p class="css-3kpklk" data-tpl="t">We are having trouble retrieving the article content.</p><p class="css-3kpklk" data-tpl="t">Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.</p></div></div></noscript><div class="css-1dv1kvn" id="optimistic-truncator-a11y" tabindex="-1"><hr/><p>Thank you for your patience while we verify access. 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