Former New York Gov. David Paterson is sounding an alarm that many Democrats would rather ignore. After a string of victories by candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, Paterson believes his party is drifting so far to the left that moderate Democrats could soon find themselves politically homeless.
Paterson’s warning comes just days after candidates supported by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the DSA scored major wins in Democratic primaries for Congress and the state legislature. While progressive activists celebrated the results as evidence of growing momentum, Paterson saw something very different. He described the outcome as a flashing warning light for a party that, in his view, risks alienating much of its broader electorate.
“It’s definitely a message to the Democratic Party. We’d better get that message and turn it around before we become extinct,” Paterson said Sunday during an appearance on 77 WABC’s The Cats Roundtable.
One race in particular drew Paterson’s attention. Democratic Socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated five-term incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat in New York’s 13th Congressional District, which covers Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood, and portions of the Bronx. Paterson argued that while Chevalier won the nomination under the rules of the primary system, the actual number of votes cast paints a much different picture.
According to Paterson, Chevalier received 32,790 votes in a district with roughly 700,000 residents.
“There are 700,000 people who live in that district, which means that she got 5% of the people that live there to vote for her,” Paterson said. “I would suggest that within two years a real organized campaign gets put together and she can take her 5% and go back to wherever she was before she ran the first time.”
Paterson’s criticism carries some added weight because of his own political history. Before serving as lieutenant governor and eventually governor following Eliot Spitzer’s resignation, Paterson represented Harlem in the state Senate, representing much of the same area now covered by the 13th Congressional District. He also served as chairman of the New York Democratic Party during Andrew Cuomo’s administration.
Since leaving elected office, Paterson has increasingly positioned himself as an outspoken critic of his own party. He has repeatedly argued that Democratic leaders have embraced policies that place them out of step with many voters. Among his most frequent criticisms are New York’s cashless bail law, which he has argued went too far in limiting judicial discretion, and former President Joe Biden’s handling of the southern border during the height of the migrant crisis.
Not everyone within the Democratic Party shares Paterson’s assessment. State Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs dismissed suggestions that last week’s primary results signal an ideological takeover.
“Everybody is overreacting,” Jacobs said, describing Paterson as “a friend.”
Jacobs argued that the DSA victories occurred primarily in heavily progressive districts that have long leaned left and should not be viewed as representative of the statewide Democratic coalition. He pointed to other recent races where more moderate Democrats prevailed.
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli easily defeated two progressive challengers in his Democratic primary by roughly a two-to-one margin, something Jacobs believes has received far less attention than it deserves.
“Why do we ignore that?” Jacobs asked.
He also highlighted Congressman Tom Suozzi’s successful defense of his seat in New York’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes portions of Queens and Long Island. Suozzi has frequently described himself as a moderate Democrat and has publicly distanced himself from socialist policies.
“Congressman Tom Suozzi hasn’t suddenly become a socialist,” Jacobs said.
