Kaitlan Collins Stuns Brad Lander With Live Election Update on CNN

CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins delivered an unexpected on-air moment Tuesday night when she paused her live interview with congressional candidate Brad Lander to tell him CNN was projecting his victory over incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman in a hard-fought Democratic primary. Lander, the former New York City comptroller, was speaking with Collins as results continued to come in from New York’s 10th Congressional District, which includes parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn. “We came on the air just a couple of minutes ago as the numbers were still coming in,” Collins told him. “In your race, I’m gonna do something a little unusual here, so I want you to bear with me… Not many candidates are on CNN when they hear this music.” She then announced the network’s projection that Lander would defeat Goldman. Asked for his immediate reaction, Lander appeared surprised by the timing. “Well, thank you. First of all, obviously I’m thrilled,” he said. “I did not expect to be on air when the race was called.”

Lander used the moment to reflect on the importance of elections and the message he said voters had sent through their ballots. “I love election day. I like the voters get to go out and cast their ballots and say, here’s who we want to represent us. These are the fights that matter to us,” he said. He pledged to carry those priorities into office, adding, “All I can say is I promise to go out every single day and fight for my constituents and the values that they have because we need a country that stands up for working people.” Lander also said he would be “fighting for a city everyone can afford and where everyone is welcome.”

“And I’m really honored to be on your show tonight,” Lander added. His win marked a significant setback for Goldman, who had represented the district since 2022 and was trying to defend a seat that stretches across Lower Manhattan and parts of western Brooklyn. The result also underscored the political influence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who endorsed Lander in the race. Lander and Mamdani had previously competed against one another in the 2025 Democratic mayoral primary before cross-endorsing in an effort to block former Governor Andrew Cuomo from securing the nomination. Mamdani’s backing of congressional candidates was closely watched Tuesday as he sought to move New York City’s delegation further to the left.

Lander was among three candidates endorsed by Mamdani who won closely watched Democratic primaries. NBC News called Lander’s race less than 10 minutes after polls closed, as early returns quickly showed him opening a decisive lead. CNN later made its own projection while Lander was still speaking with Collins live on air. One of the central tensions in the campaign was Goldman’s position on Israel and the war in Gaza. Goldman, who is Jewish, had declined to endorse Mamdani in the previous year’s mayoral race, pointing to concerns about antisemitism. Lander, who is also Jewish, made Goldman’s support for Israel a prominent contrast between the two candidates.

Goldman had rejected criticism from opponents who accused him of being a “genocide enabler” because of his support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza following Hamas’s October 7 attack. “What is going on in the Middle East is horrific. And the idea of accusing someone who you don’t know of supporting a genocide – I mean, it’s crazy,” Goldman told CNN. “Now, I may disagree as to whether or not there’s a genocide, but come on. We’re better than this.” Before entering Congress in 2022, Goldman worked as a federal prosecutor. He is also an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune and served as lead counsel during Donald Trump’s first impeachment inquiry in 2019.