Candidate Finds Out He’s Won Race in Live TV Interview

Politics admin June 24, 2026 0 Comments

Candidate Finds Out He’s Won Race in Live TV Interview

CNN host Kaitlin Collins informed former New York City comptroller Brad Lander live on air that he had won his primary challenge against Rep. Dan Goldman.

Lander ran against Goldman, an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune with an estimated net worth of $253 million, in his Manhattan and Brooklyn House seat.

Shortly after the polls closed, Lander took an early lead with more than 60 percent of the vote.

He was live on air with Collins as the race was called.

“We came on the air just a couple of minutes ago as the numbers were still coming in. In your race, I’m gonna do something a little unusual here. So I want you to bear with me,” Collins said.

“Not many candidates are on CNN when they hear this music. But we do have breaking news, and we can now project that Brad Lander will defeat the incumbent congressman, Dan Goldman, in the Democratic primary for New York’s 10th congressional district. And, sir, obviously, since we have you here live on air, as we are making this call, um, what is your first reaction to this?”

“Well, thank you. First of all, obviously I’m thrilled,” Lander responded. “I did not expect to be on air when the race was called. Look, 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.

“And 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. It doesn’t make it so hard to live here. I’ll be fighting for a city everyone can afford and where everyone is welcome. And I’m really honored to be on your show tonight.”

Goldman, a two-term Democratic congressman, rose to notoriety after helping to lead the first impeachment of President Donald Trump in 2019. He has since sparked controversy with his support for Israel and his refusal to call their actions in Gaza genocide.

Earlier this year, Goldman was barred from a New York coffee shop that branded him a “genocide enabler” because of his support for Israel—a decision the congressman called “crazy.”

Both men are Jewish and describe themselves as Zionists, but Lander made Goldman’s stance on Gaza a central issue in the race, arguing the congressman had not been vocal enough in criticizing Israel’s military campaign.

He also faulted Goldman for opposing efforts to restrict U.S. military aid to Israel and accused him of being too closely aligned with pro-Israel advocacy groups.

Lander, meanwhile, has been much more critical of Israel, repeatedly referring to the country’s military campaign in Gaza, which has left more than 75,000 Palestinians dead, as genocide.

“Our party needs to admit that Joe Biden’s ‘hug Bibi’ strategy was a catastrophic mistake. I believe it made us complicit in genocide,” Lander said in his victory speech.

Lander’s endorsement from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also helped boost his campaign, with polls putting him far ahead of Goldman.

President Trump also reacted to the result on Truth Social. “Weak and pathetic Congressman Dan Goldman just lost, BIG! I guess people didn’t like him illegally targeting President TRUMP. In any event, this jerk is finally GONE!” he wrote.