From Mamdani To Manchester? Candidate Bets On Democratic Socialists Momentum In 1st Congressional District Primary

By Michael Graham, NH Journal

Now that Democratic Socialist candidates are winning primaries with the message of “Abolish ICE, Defund the Police, and Free Palestine,” will New Hampshire’s only DSA-backed candidate stay that course as well?

So far, it appears so.

State Rep. Heath Howard (D-Strafford) has been endorsed by the Southern NH DSA.

“SNHDSA is proud to endorse Heath Howard for Congress. Heath is running for NH-01 to build power for working people across the Granite State,” the organization said in a statement.

“He will fight for universal health care, the repeal of Taft-Hartley to strengthen unions, a livable wage, and the affordable housing our neighbors deserve.”

And, the group added, Howard is “the only anti-Zionist candidate in the race, and has pledged to take zero dollars from AIPAC.”

Anti-Israel and, some say, antisemitic rhetoric was a key part of the messaging from the DSA-backed candidates who won in New York Tuesday. And they all had the help of aggressively anti-Zionist Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

One DSA candidate, Darializa Avila Chevalier, is a self-described “prison abolitionist” who has called for “no more police at all ever” and hopes to abolish prisons entirely. The day after Hamas terrorists committed mass murder and rape on Oct. 7, 2023, Chevalier attended an anti-Israel rally wearing a keffiyeh beside a protester with a sign reading, “Zionism is genocide.”

Another, Claire Valdez, told her supporters on election night, “Abolish ICE, free Palestine, organize your union, and join DSA.”

Howard celebrated the socialist successes Tuesday night, telling NHJournal that New York City DSA-backed candidates can credit their wins to Mamdani’s first six months in office.

“Tuesday night was a referendum on Mayor Mamdani’s leadership in New York, and DSA candidates claimed a historic victory there because our movement is powered by the working class,” Howard said. “From eliminating a $12 billion deficit that he inherited to enacting the policies he campaigned on, he is delivering for the people of New York. Unlike establishment campaigns, we can deliver a new vision that will end the exploitation of the young, old, sick, and tired.”

Will the electoral wins of his New York City comrades be enough to win the nomination for Howard in the NH-01 Democratic primary on Sept. 8? He’s still a long shot, in part because he’s raised very little money — he had $1,400 in cash on hand at the end of the latest filing report — and in part because progressive candidates have fared poorly in New Hampshire primaries.

The best federal effort by the 300-member NH DSA chapter since its launch around 2016 was helping Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders secure a narrow victory in the 2020 first-in-the-nation primary against runner-up Pete Buttigieg, then mayor of South Bend, Ind., by 4,000 votes.

That was, however, a considerably closer call for Sanders than his 2016 victory against eventual Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, which he won by more than 50,000 votes.

Howard is far from the only New Hampshire progressive running this fall. Although Carliegh Beriont, Sarah Chadzynski, and Christian Urrutia are all from their party’s left flank, they have not been endorsed by the DSA.

Nor has Nashua state Rep. Paige Beauchemin, who has vowed to support Medicare for All, abolish ICE, and end funding to Israel. She has declared herself the “Mini Bernie” in the race.

The same goes for Dr. Karishma Manzur, the progressive, anti-Israel candidate for U.S. Senate. No DSA endorsement, but she still purchased a billboard ad denouncing her opponent, U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, for his support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee near his congressional office.

Howard has tried to play offense in this race, shouting at U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen after she supported a deal to end a Democrat-imposed government shutdown.

He has earned rebuke from local Jewish leaders for claiming that Israel does not have the right to exist.

Howard tells NHJournal he feels optimistic about the race.

“This is the same grassroots, people-powered movement that fueled the election of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and it’s proving that organizing works,” Howard said. “Our grassroots coalition is growing because these are the values people across New Hampshire believe in and are ready to fight for.”

Another potential positive sign for Howard and other progressive candidates: The victories in New York City were fueled not by voters of color or the working class, but by White, affluent, well-educated voters — particularly women. New Hampshire has one of the highest percentages of those voters in the country.

A Democratic source based in New York said the successful House candidates were first-generation, Ivy League-educated transplants to the city who had both experienced being unable to afford life there and could communicate with voters about those issues.

The operative, who worked for the incumbent Democrat Chevalier defeated Tuesday, told NHJournal, “There’s two types of working-class people in New York City. You have the native who might have inherited the rent-stabilized apartment, earned government aid to go to community college, and now has a unionized job or works for the city government with a stable pension. The other might have moved here to earn a degree from NYU or Columbia, but won’t be able to have a rent-stabilized apartment or afford $3,000 per month in rent.”

“Mamdani and these candidates have been able to appeal to those voters in a way that more establishment Democrats have yet to be able to figure out,” the source added.

So, would Howard want Mamdani’s endorsement? Would he want to campaign with him?

“Mayor Mamdani is probably too busy to weigh in on New Hampshire politics, but I’m welcoming everyone into our coalition.”

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.