Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., is "honored" that allies of far-left New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani included him on a list of Democrats that should be primaried in the upcoming midterm elections.
Last month, Mamdani, a 33-year-old Muslim born in Uganda, defeated the establishment candidate former New York Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo in what some observers see as a battle for the soul of the modern Democratic Party. Energized by Mamdani's surprise showing, leaders of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) have set their sights on Torres and other New York Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Yvette Clark, Dan Goldman, and Jerry Nadler.
"I'm honored," Torres told on CNN on Wednesday, when asked what he thought about making the list of Democrats to be primaried. "I think it's fair to say that my colleagues in the New York congressional delegation do not care about the Democratic Socialists of America. We're focused defeating congressional Republicans in the midterms and making Hakeem Jeffries the Speaker of the House and reversing the catastrophic consequences of the Republican reconciliation bill.
"We could care less about Mickey Mouse primary challengers."
A self labeled "democratic socialist," Mamdani will now face two independent candidates in Cuomo and current mayor Eric Adams as well as Republican Curtis Sliwa in the general election in November. When asked by CNN if Mamdani supported the actions of the DSA, a press secretary said he was "declining to comment."
Torres was asked how he got labeled "establishment," to which he replied "I think the lesson of the Mamdani victory is there is no Democrat establishment." Torres was then pushed by panelist Scott Jennings to admit he knows why he was being targeted.
"I think they're targeting me because I'm pro-Israel; that's the issue." Torres responded.
"You're a 100% right," Jennings answered.
"I am specifically targeted because of my position on Israel," Torres said, nodding.
As the Democrats struggle with how to define their party platform in the age of Trump, many in the centrist wing worry that a candidate such as Mamdani will further alienate middle-class voters. With Adams being somewhat aligned with the president on matters such as immigration, Cuomo staying in the race will pull those moderate Dems who despise any allegiance with Trump.
And that small fraction might be just enough to ensure a Mamdani victory.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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