New York’s 13th Congressional District – a mix of northern Manhattan and parts of the Bronx – is demographically 52% Hispanic, 23% Black and only 14% white. Yet in the June Democratic primary, voters chose Democratic Socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier, a 32‑year‑old Columbia graduate student, over five‑term Rep. Adriano Espaillat, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Why the incumbent lost
Despite Espaillat winning the majority‑Hispanic precincts by roughly 15 points and the majority‑Black precincts by about 2 points, he fell short overall. Two factors explain the outcome.
No. 1: The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) mobilized its base of young, college‑educated voters, many of whom are white newcomers reshaping the district’s traditional Hispanic and Black composition.
No. 2: New York’s Democratic primaries are closed, excluding independent voters. About a quarter of registered Latinos in the city are independents, and the district has roughly 67,000 active voters with no party affiliation. Avila Chevalier won by a margin of 2,300 votes, a result heavily influenced by the party‑only ballot.
Closed primaries as a structural advantage
Closed primaries have become a tool that amplifies far‑left candidates by freezing out a large swath of independents, regardless of race or ethnicity. This dynamic also helped socialist Zohran Mamdani secure the Democratic nomination for a citywide office with only 11% of registered voters, and he later won the general election with just under half the total vote.
When asked about proposals to open the city’s primaries, Mamdani replied, “I am quite content with the system of primaries that we have.”
National implications of independent voters
Independent voters played a decisive role in the 2026 midterms across the country. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico flipped a Senate seat with 63% of the unaffiliated vote. In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton won a Senate seat with 59% independent support. Their backing also helped Democrat Pia Dandiya capture Florida’s 22nd Congressional District after Republicans redrew its boundaries.
Critics point to a lack of diversity
Prominent Black leaders have noted the DSA’s demographic makeup. Hakeem Jeffries, poised to become the first Black Speaker of the House, observed that a recent DSA victory party in Brooklyn featured “almost zero diversity.” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards echoed the concern, noting that a majority‑white audience chanting “You’re next” to a Black man “harkens back to some dark times in history.” By his count, the DSA’s New York City chapter is 60% white in a city that is roughly one‑third white.
New York Attorney General Letitia James warned the left against targeting Jeffries, saying, “For those who live in his district and are so drunk off power to think that they’re going to run against this man, you’ve got to get past this neighborhood and Tish James.”
Conclusion
The closed‑primary system in New York has amplified far‑left candidates while marginalizing independent voters, particularly in districts with diverse populations. As independent voters continue to shape outcomes in other states, the debate over open versus closed primaries is likely to intensify, with implications for representation and party dynamics nationwide.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
