Mamdani-backed Valdez on Fetterman criticism: ‘It’s a big-tent party’

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New York State Assembly member Claire Valdez, the Democratic House nominee in the Empire State‘s 7th Congressional District, deflected criticism from Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) regarding her campaign and other democratic socialist candidates.

“It’s a big-tent party. … I think what’s important for me right now is saying that we won with a mandate in this race. We won across the entire district,” she told host Erin Burnett on CNN’s “OutFront.”

Valdez, who has represented the state’s 37th District in the State Assembly since last year, defeated progressive Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in Tuesday’s primary. The two were vying for the Democratic nod in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.), who endorsed Reynoso.

On Wednesday, Fetterman slammed the likes of Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier, who defeated incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D) in New York’s 13th Congressional District, as part of the “dirtbag left” gaining power in his party.

“Some of these candidates are outrageous. You have candidates, they’re ‘abolish ICE,’ ‘abolish the police,’ ‘abolish the border,’” the Pennsylvania Democrat said during an appearance on Fox News’s “Hannity.”

While Burnett asked Valdez specifically about criticisms lobbed at her and others, she did not address them.

“People want affordability,” she said. “They want politicians who will stand up against ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement], who will stand up against forever wars and who want to see the resources that we pour into agencies that do not make us safer back into our neighborhoods and hospitals and healthcare and education, the things that actually make lives dignified and beautiful here in New York 7.”

The state lawmaker had a 19-point edge on Reynoso in majority-Hispanic precincts, a 32-point edge among younger residents and a 37-point edge in majority-college educated areas, according to The New York Times.

Reynoso, meanwhile, beat her by 32 points in lower-income areas and by 51 points in majority-Black areas, the Times reported.

Valdez and Avila Chevalier, both of whom had the support of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D), criticized Israel throughout their campaigns. Fetterman, on the other hand, is a staunch supporter of the country and the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.

Avila Chevalier has also expressed far-left positions regarding criminal justice and immigration. During a recent interview with The New York editorial board, Avila Chevalier deflected multiple times when asked whether a man convicted of murder should go to jail and said “all” deportations are “wrong.”

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2026 midterm elections

Adriano Espaillat

Claire Valdez

CNN

democratic socialists

Erin Burnett

House Democrats

John Fetterman

New York

New York City

New York primaries

Nydia Velazquez

Zohran Mamdani

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