Three left-leaning New York congressional candidates who prevailed in closely watched Democratic primaries on Tuesday night are now headed for general election matchups, where they will have to defeat Republican opponents to formally claim their House seats.
Melvin Rivera, Jennifer Moore and Jomo M. Williams are set to run on the GOP line in November. While Republicans face long odds in these heavily Democratic districts, their candidacies ensure that the contests will continue after voters chose a trio supported by Mayor Zohran Mamdani over more centrist rivals.
Here is a look at the three Republican candidates who will appear on the ballot in the high-profile House races.
Melvin Rivera
Rivera will take on DSA-backed Queens Assemblywoman Claire Valdez in the race for New York’s Seventh Congressional District. According to his campaign website, he has spent more than three decades involved in community activism and tenant organizing.
A Brooklyn native, Rivera initially pursued a write-in bid in the Democratic primary. His social media activity, however, shows he has also received backing from Republican clubs.
“Melvin represents strong leadership, conservative values, and a real commitment to our communities,” the Dominican American GOP club wrote in an April 22 endorsement.
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“At a time when New York needs bold voices and real solutions, Melvin Rivera is ready to fight for public safety, economic opportunity, and the hardworking families of our district.”
Jennifer Moore
Moore, a Brooklyn GOP operative, has said she entered the race to offer voters an alternative after former City Comptroller Brad Lander defeated incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman in the Democratic primary for the 10th Congressional District.
“The political earthquake last night of Brad Lander unseating an incumbent has infused interest in this race and my goal is to seize this opportunity and engage more support from voters registered to all parties who oppose Lander’s radical ideology,” Moore said in a statement to The Post.
A GOP source told The Post her candidacy was “really a last-minute put-a-name-on-the-ballot situation.”
Jomo M. Williams
Williams will take on radical lefty Darializa Avila Chevalier in the race for the 13th House District after having previously vied for and lost other elections in the Big Apple, including for City Council a few years ago.
He ran in 2021 on the Black Lives Matter Party line for a council seat, though he made clear at the time that he did not support defunding the police and was for “law and order,” according to Our Town.
“We don’t want the brand that comes with a whole bunch of misconduct, a whole bunch of brutalities, a whole bunch of racial profiling, and sentencing and massive incarceration,” he told the outlet.
