Zohran Mamdani’s recent win in New York City’s mayoral race has sent a shockwave of progressive sentiment throughout the United States. His win proved that progressives can still beat establishment Democrats with the proper strategies and campaigns, and, most importantly, by getting out the vote from the people.
Mamdani showed in the Democratic primary why it is still important for Democrats who are unhappy with the party to show up and vote the establishment out in the primaries. Even after the primaries, some establishment Democrats, like Andrew Cuomo, will still try to run as an independent to split the vote in the general election. Showing up to vote in the general election is crucial.
As candidates gear up for the 2026 midterm elections, look out for these progressive candidates on the rise who will look to unseat their opponents by using Mamdani’s momentum.
Graham Platner: U.S. Senate race in Maine
Progressive Marine Corps veteran, Graham Platner, will be looking to run for governor of Maine. This will mean he will have to defeat Maine’s governor, Janet Mills, in the Democratic primary and unseat five-term Republican Senator Susan Collins. Mills, a moderate and longtime establishment Democrat, is viewed by many strategists as the best bet to unseat Collins. However, early polls suggest that Platner leads Mills among likely Democratic primary voters.
Platner is a political outsider and a populist, which will test Mamdani’s effect on the success of progressive in the midterm elections. Similar to Mamdani, who was the underdog against Cuomo in the Democratic primary, Platner is the underdog in the primary against the two-term governor.
If Platner manages to defeat Mills in the Democratic primary, the Senate race shifts from a moderate vs. moderate standoff to a progressive vs. moderate race. Platner could mobilize progressive and young voters, receiving lots of support in a state that has experience voting for nontraditional candidates.
However, Platner also risks losing support from the main Democratic establishment if they deem him to be “too far left.” If Platner wins the primary, it will continue to be an uphill battle for him no matter what.
Platner already has a notable connection to Mamdani, with his campaign launch video being produced by Morris Katz, an advisor to Mamdani. The Mamdani campaign also led an uphill battle and won, so there’s still faith that Platner could become the Democratic nominee and go against Collins.
Abdul El-Sayed: U.S. Senate race in Michigan
The progressive activist Abdul El-Sayed will be looking to win out in a competitive Democratic primary in Michigan and defeat Republican Mike Rogers, who has Trump’s endorsement. El-Sayed will face a contested Senate race after incumbent Gary Peters announced that he will not run for reelection.
Unlike Platner and many other progressives seen as inexperienced or newbies, El-Sayed already has experience in politics. He previously ran for governor of Michigan in 2018, finishing second in the Democratic primary. After the race, he served as Wayne County’s director of the health department, gathering experience in the public health and administration sector.
Key rivals in the Democratic primary include Congresswoman Haley Stevens, the establishment favorite, and Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow, a rising star after going viral in 2022 over a passionate speech on the state senate floor. McMorrow is also progressive — though not as progressive as El-Sayed — which risks splitting the progressive vote in the primary.
Not only will El-Sayed’s run be interesting to see because of Mamdani’s effect on progressive politics, but also on the ability of Muslims to win representation in Congress, especially in a state like Michigan with around 250,000 Muslims. Ultimately, El-Sayed will have to unite the left-wing voter bloc in the primary if he hopes to win. If he does win, he will face Republican front-runner Mike Rogers.
However, unlike Platner, who might not get establishment support if he wins, El-Sayed would force the establishment’s support in the case he wins the primary. Since the seat was held by Democrat Gary Peters, this seat is one that strategists will identify as one to defend, no matter who the candidate is, forcing the establishment’s hand. If they do not back El-Sayed in the case that he wins, it will be seen as political suicide for the party.
Kat Abughazaleh: U.S. House race in Illinois
The 26-year-old Palestinian-American activist Kat Abughazaleh formally announced in March that she’s running for the open seat in Illinois’s 9th Congressional District in North-suburban Chicago. The seat is open after Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky announced her retirement.
Abughazaleh goes into the race with a brighter chance than Platner and El-Sayed, seeing as the 9th District includes Northwestern University and Loyola University. The district is the perfect place to test progressive politics in the public eye because university students tend to lean more progressive on average. She has already received a high-level endorsement from Congressman Ro Khanna.
Abughazaleh is already a frontrunner in the primary, tied for the lead with establishment candidate and current Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss. Though the Democratic primary is very contested, the 9th District’s status as a safe Democratic seat will ensure that whoever wins the primary will likely win the general election. This means that if Abughazaleh wins the primary, she will surely win the seat in the house, which is a major win for progressives.
In the case that Abughazaleh wins, it will continue the momentum of Mamdani’s win, showing that young, left-leaning candidates can win against older, established moderates in primaries.
The 2026 midterms are crucial for progressives
It’s still too early to determine anything for certain. Many more progressives are likely to appear in the near future as the midterm elections get closer, and many of them will be wanting to grab on to the momentum from Mamdani’s win. If any of them win, it’ll be proof that the progressive strategy can win elections.