The “establishment” label Mamdani is attaching to some of his opponents this year doesn’t fit comfortably. Just six months into a four-year term, the new mayor has infuriated some allies who endorsed him over Andrew Cuomo last year as divisions among progressive candidates define the primary season.

That group of spurned allies includes Rep. Adriano Espaillat, whom Avila Chevalier is challenging in Manhattan and the Bronx. It also includes retiring Rep. Nydia Velazquez, who endorsed Brooklyn borough president Antonio Reynoso to replace her while Mamdani is backing his opponent, Valdez.

“This is a district that loves the mayor, that respects and trusts him,” Reynoso told Semafor during a Friday stop at a World Cup watch party. “So it’s made it more difficult for a candidate like me — who’s done the work, who’s been in progressive politics, who the people of this district trust as well — to contest against his endorsement.”

Reynoso is one of several candidates trying to counter Mamdani by reintroducing themselves as experienced, community-rooted brawlers. (The left-wing Working Families Party continues to support Reynoso over Valdez.)

Of the targeted incumbents, that redefinition has been hardest for Rep. Dan Goldman, who won just 26% of the vote in his 2022 primary as left-wing candidates split the progressive vote. Lander, who became beloved by DSA members after helping Mamdani beat Cuomo, worked with the mayor’s ad team for a campaign that effectively turned them into a comedy duo — a dorky Jewish dad and a swaggering Muslim mayor, both critical of the Israeli government.

“Brad’s campaign has been entirely based on his endorsements,” Goldman told reporters after voting in Manhattan on Friday. “If Bernie Sanders or Zohran Mamdani were running for this seat in Congress, then it might be a question. But Brad Lander’s on the ballot and has no experience in Congress. We just do not have the luxury right now.”

Lander’s ability to draw sharper contrasts with Goldman — who never endorsed Mamdani — have made his primary challenge a smoother ride than the mayor’s other two chosen battles.

The races against Reynoso and Espaillat have gotten more heated, more expensive, and more personalized. With a handful of real policy differences to fight over, identity and the perceived failures of the Democratic “establishment” have played larger roles.

Valdez has emphasized her union organizing work at Columbia University — that “Claire was there,” as Mamdani puts it.

“Too many of us can’t think about our future,” Valdez said on Thursday. “We can only think about the next shift, the next bill, whether the next check appears before the rent hits.”