Rep. Dan Goldman is heading into Tuesday’s Democratic primary in New York’s 10th Congressional District facing a serious challenge from former City Comptroller Brad Lander, with multiple public polls showing Lander with a significant lead. The district covers Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, including a portion of the Boro Park Jewish community.

The race has become a flashpoint in the Democratic Party’s broader fight over Israel. Lander, who is backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and has campaigned to Goldman’s left, has criticized U.S. military aid to Israel and has appeared alongside Linda Sarsour, the activist who stepped down from the Women’s March leadership in 2019 amid accusations of antisemitism tied to her refusal to disavow Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. 

Goldman, who co-chairs the House Bipartisan Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, has staked his campaign in part on his pro-Israel record and has warned that a Lander win would be read by the party as a green light to move further away from Israel and tolerate antisemitism on the left.

Belaaz spoke with Congressman Goldman on Sunday morning ahead of Tuesday’s primary.

 What’s at stake for the election in your district and in Congress overall?

 I think the stakes are quite high in my district, which will have an impact, I think, more broadly. There’s been in New York City a very aggressive move to the extreme left, and it has included at the front of it a dramatic turn towards anti-Israel views and antisemitism. My opponent, even though he is Jewish and has always professed to be a Zionist, has moved with the political winds to campaign with many antisemitic and anti-Israel people.

What I think is at stake is whether the Democratic Party is going to continue to abandon support for the country of Israel, and whether there’s an actual path forward for the Democratic Party to openly support antisemitism – that is very much what is at stake in this race. Notwithstanding this move by many in the Democratic Party, I have stayed firm in my support for Israel, and as co-chair of the House Bipartisan Caucus to Combat Anti-Semitism, I have been leading the effort to eradicate antisemitism wherever it may be. I think that’s what is truly at stake here.

The issue of Israel has dominated the discourse surrounding your race. We’re seeing it even in offices that don’t impact foreign policy at all, especially in New York City’s mayoral race last year. Why do you think Israel has taken such a place in politics?

 I don’t believe there’s a single answer, nor do I have it. There’s unquestionably an undercurrent of antisemitism that runs through all of this, and that is what really concerns me – and it especially concerns me when my Jewish opponent plays into these antisemitic tropes, and enables them, and caters to them. For the Jewish community, there’s a tremendous amount at stake here, because it would be the worst of all situations to have someone Jewish in this seat who placates the extreme left and the overtly antisemitic voices in the party, and gives cover for those voices to be louder.

 If Lander were to win, what would that signal to the moderate, pro-Israel Democrat world that used to be the norm until very recently?

 I think that’s another aspect of this – I’m a liberal Democrat, and I have very pragmatic and practical views. I think that if I lose this race to someone who has moved to the extreme left in order to win, the Democratic Party itself is going to continue to move to the extreme left.

 Have you taken any hits politically in your career because of your outspoken pro-Israel views? 

That’s probably the only reason we have this primary – that I have stood strong for my values, my morals, my beliefs, and central to all of that is my support for the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. I have maintained those views even in the face of what I knew to be dangerous political consequences.

 What’s your message to the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party, people who are on the fence about you? 

My message is that I am a public servant at heart, who is new to politics, with a very fresh and different perspective that is focused on solutions and results. The frustration that many feel is absolutely justified, but the answer is to elect more people like me who will not back down and who will use outside-the-box thinking to deliver results. Congress is a very different animal than City Hall and city politics, and it has taken me a couple of years to get my feet under me and understand how it works. I’m now prepared to lead the charge in the majority when the Democrats take it back – and I believe we will – to actually make a real difference, not just engage in sexy slogans and performative politics.

 You mentioned that you’re co-chair of the caucus on antisemitism. Can you describe some of your activities in that regard, what you’ve focused on, and what you’d do more of if re-elected?

 I’ve really tried to emphasize how important it is that antisemitism remain bipartisan, and I believe that to be the case as well for Israel – that it is not helpful for these issues to become partisan footballs or to be used in partisan ways. One of the things I have very much focused on in leading that effort is being willing to call out antisemitism wherever it is, including if it’s on the far left. I think I need to set the example of real nonpartisanship – that we have to be willing to call out our own in order to make a difference and tackle antisemitism, while also keeping it from being a partisan football.

We’ve had meetings with Harmeet Dhillon (Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. DOJ) with our task force, we’ve had meetings with the president of the synagogue in Mississippi that was bombed, we have regular meetings with Jonathan Greenblatt of the ADL, Ted Deutch of the AJC, and lots of other people with a wide variety of perspectives and insight – because it’s essential that we get all perspectives on this issue, not simply what makes partisan sense.

Shifting to the Orthodox community – do you feel there’s enough federal funding for nonprofit security, given the rise of antisemitism, or would you consider doing more?

 I do not think there’s enough being done. In fact, my co-chairs in the House and the Senate of the Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism and I just recently introduced a bill called the Jewish American Security Act, which I’m optimistic we’ll be able to get passed. One of the three pillars of that bill is to increase funding for nonprofit security grants to a billion dollars, and to expand the types of things those grants can pay for.

This has been a real focus of mine since day one in Congress, because Jewish nonprofit organizations all have to hire security and pay for more security infrastructure now, and that should not come on the backs of the Jewish community – which is the community suffering from this rise in antisemitism. It’s not just a priority of mine, it’s something I’ve taken active measures to address. I’m on the Homeland Security Committee, which is the committee of jurisdiction, and I’m going to push this bill through and make sure all Jews feel safe exercising their religion, or just in their lives.

Last question; the polls show a large gap between you and Lander. How much weight do you give them, and what do you think it means?

 I put very little weight into the polls, because the turnout model they use is from last year, and we’re already seeing in early voting that the data shows a very different turnout model – much older than last year. The polls also don’t take into consideration communities like Boro Park or the Chinese-speaking communities, where I have a lot of support.

I have a lot of support in Boro Park because I’ve been on the ground there, even though it’s a small part of my district. I’ve been very dedicated and engaged with that community, making sure their needs are addressed – helping people get back from Israel, both right after October 7 and after the war with Iran started, and reaching out directly to the American ambassador in Israel to do that. I’m very proud of the work my staff and I have done to respond to the needs of the community, and to always show up and make sure this community is a real priority for my office. I will continue to do that.

I think that’s really what’s at stake here: there’s no question that my opponent will pay no attention to the Orthodox community. He has gone all in with Linda Sarsour and other anti-Israel advocates. There’s a lot at stake in this race for the Boro Park community, and if Boro Park votes in large numbers, this community alone can make the difference in the outcome of this election.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.