Dan Goldman, Democratic Congressman

Money gets you far enough

The rage directed against Dan Goldman, Democratic nominee for New York’s 10th Congressional District, is righteous and understandable and somewhat out of proportion, given what he actually believes. Goldman’s politics do not differ in any meaningful way from most of the New York City’s House delegation’s politics. He does not exist to the right of Hakeem Jeffries, Carolyn Maloney, Grace Meng, Adriano Espaillat, or Gregory Meeks. He will vote with Nancy Pelosi 98 or 99% of the time. He hates Donald Trump, he supports a public option for the Affordable Care Act, he wants to liberalize immigration policy, and he wants to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. The former Trump impeachment lawyer is an Israel hawk in the mold of Chuck Schumer. Like almost all the Democrats, he would authorize indefinite military aid to Ukraine. Even on abortion rights, he has pivoted left, telling me shortly before primary day he’d put no restrictions on abortion—not at 20 weeks, 30 weeks, or any time frame leading up until birth. His rivals had assailed him for changing his view. If you are the sort of person who both hates Goldman but voted for Kathryn Garcia in the mayoral primary last year, you should think about why exactly you feel that way. Garcia and Goldman are politically indistinguishable.

Goldman, though, is extremely wealthy and poured at least $4 million of his own money into the primary, which he barely won over Yuh-Line Niou, a proud progressive state assemblywoman. He heavily outspent her, blanketing Manhattan and Brooklyn with nonstop television ads. Goldman’s politics align with portions of the district—he dominated in Manhattan—and are clearly more alienating elsewhere. Goldman is very much a Wall Street, REBNY Democrat, happily fundraising from both places, and he supports Mayor Eric Adams’ bizarre fixation with further weakening the state’s bail reform laws. There is an argument to make, given the significant percentages both Niou and Mondaire Jones, a sitting congressman, racked up, the progressive vote in the district is larger. (And it’s plausible there are Jones voters or Carlina Rivera voters who’d consider Goldman too.)