Former Democrat Governor Warns His Party Could Become “Extinct” If Socialists Take Over

When a former Democratic governor starts using the word “extinct” about his own party, it is worth listening.

That is exactly what David Paterson did this week.

The former New York governor warned that Democrats could go extinct if they refuse to confront the socialist takeover happening inside their own primaries.

The warning lands differently because Paterson is an old-school New York Democrat who once ran the state party.

The New York Post reported that Paterson delivered the warning on 77 WABC’s “Cats Roundtable” program after a slate backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America swept key Democratic primaries. Paterson served as New York’s governor and later chaired the state Democratic Party in 2014 and 2015 under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Paterson pointed directly to Darializa Avila Chevalier’s win over five-term incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat in New York’s 13th Congressional District. He said Democrats needed to get the message and turn things around before they become “extinct.”

The Post also reported the pushback from current state Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs, who said critics were overreacting because the DSA wins came in very progressive districts. Jacobs argued that those races did not speak for the entire Democratic Party and pointed to other moderate Democratic wins as evidence.

That is the split in one frame.

One former party chairman is sounding an alarm, and the sitting party chairman is telling everyone to relax.

NY1 reported that the Associated Press called New York’s 13th Congressional District for Avila Chevalier, making her the Democratic nominee after she defeated Espaillat. NY1 identified her as a Democratic Socialists of America member and noted that she was endorsed by Mamdani.

The district covers parts of Upper Manhattan and the Bronx, including Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood, and surrounding neighborhoods. When AP called the race, Avila Chevalier was leading with 49.4% and more than 86% of the expected vote counted.

That result is exactly why Paterson’s warning has teeth. Espaillat had held the seat since 2017, and the Mamdani-backed DSA wing still took him out in a real congressional primary.

Darializa Avila Chevalier will become the Democratic nominee for New York’s 13th Congressional District, defeating incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat, The Associated Press says.

Avila Chevalier, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, was endorsed by Mayor Zohran…

— Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) June 24, 2026

Espaillat is not some fringe figure.

He was a five-term incumbent.

And the DSA wing beat him anyway.

The Associated Press reported that all three candidates backed by Mamdani won their Democratic primaries. That meant incumbent Dan Goldman lost in NY-10, incumbent Adriano Espaillat lost in NY-13, and Mamdani-backed Claire Valdez won the nomination for an open seat in NY-7.

AP framed Mamdani as reshaping New York City’s congressional delegation through his endorsements. The practical result was a socialist-backed sweep across three congressional races, including two losses for sitting members of Congress in one brutal primary night.

That is larger than one upset and much harder to dismiss as a random protest vote. The socialist left walked into Democratic primaries, beat the establishment, and came out with real seats.

Darializa Avila Chevalier ousts Espaillat in NY-13 as Mamdani-backed candidates sweep primary night. #NYPrimary #NYC https://t.co/LZNpgsqfji

— New York Amsterdam News (@NYAmNews) June 25, 2026

Jacobs can call it overreaction all he wants.

The establishment kept telling itself these were isolated flare-ups in deep-blue corners, then watched three congressional races slide into the Mamdani column in a single night.

Paterson is saying out loud what the consultant class refuses to admit.

The DSA is already walking the halls.

That is the thing about a political takeover. It shows up on a ballot, district by district, until the old guard wakes up as the minority inside its own party.

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Democrats built this themselves.

They cleared the lane for the socialist wing, treated every warning as paranoia, and now a former Democratic governor is the one saying the word nobody at headquarters wants to hear.