Who Wants to Dump Dan Goldman?

By Jack Lourie

We are witness to a government that is continually less reflective of its constituents and more partial of its donors. We often say we are at a crossroads in politics, but it seems more like a slide. Each election feels special, because they represent moments to reflect on the worsening material conditions and political sway of everyday people.

Maybe we should try to understand our elected officials better. What is important to them? Who do they take money from? Do they have a history of public advocacy? Does their worldview adequately advocate for the most marginalized? Those questions bring us to Dan Goldman and a Dump Dan Campaign that would argue his positions would be unsavory.

Goldman has represented New York’s 10th Congressional District since 2023, when the seat was opened due to redistricting. He covers lower Manhattan down through Sunset Park.  Goldman is worth up to $253 million. This money comes from his great-grandfather, who was the president of Levi Strauss & Co.

Goldman’s top two contributors are the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and Blackstone Group (Open Secrets). Blackstone is “the world’s largest alternative asset manager” (Blackstone). Private equity currently controls 10% of apartments in the United States, with Blackstone representing the largest share (MultiFamilyDive). Beyond corporate donations, Goldman’s immediate and extended family donated over $200,000 to his NY-10 campaign during an early fundraising push (Politico).

In 2023, as it became clearer that Israel was conducting a genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, many residents reached a breaking point with him. Unfortunately, he sought to protect Israeli interests above Palestinian human rights. For example, Goldman expressed disgust at South Africa for filing the case against Israel on the grounds of violating the Genocide Convention in the International Court of Justice (The Intercept). At that time, over 26,000 Palestinians had been murdered.

Frustration towards Goldman led to a petition, created by his constituents in a group called NY-10 Neighbors and co-sponsored by NYC Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), appealing to him to retract his statements on Palestine, call for a ceasefire, and allow aid into Gaza (ActionNetwork). The petition received over 1,300 signatures. But nothing really changed.

Goldman’s constituents began leading local organizing efforts to hold him responsible for his inaction on behalf of Palestinians. They spearheaded a campaign in the general election to write in Hind Rajab as a protest vote against Goldman. Hind was a child who was the sole survivor in her family’s car after Israeli Defense Forces shot hundreds of rounds into the vehicle, killing everyone else. When paramedics arrived at the scene to save her, they were all bombed (Sky News). “I was heartbroken, and I know many other people were about the idea that there was no clear challenger, we could not bring ourselves to vote for him, and we wanted to do more than leave that section blank,” one of the organizers of the effort told me. At least 1,284 people wrote in in Hind’s name (Indypendent).

Going into the 2026 primary, people in the district are feeling inspired by the results of the NYC mayoral election of Zohran Mamdani and the D.R.E.A.M. campaign that helped defeat Andrew Cuomo. They are laying the groundwork to help elect a real progressive Democrat. “Our biggest fear is that we would get to another congressional race and we wouldn’t have a challenger,” said one of the volunteer organizers. Their culminating disappointment of Goldman has led to the formation of the Dump Dan Campaign, a grassroots movement to unseat the Levi-Strauss heir. “Dump Dan is somewhat of a desperate cry to have someone viable come and challenge him,” they added.

“There are a lot of people who do not support Dan’s positions on Palestine/Israel, but also on other issues,” said another one of the organizers. “Comments he originally made on abortion, on Medicare for All, showed he was not a left progressive voice on those issues when he was running. He’s moved on those issues, but one thing he has not moved on is listening to his constituents saying that they do not want their tax dollars funding Israel’s genocide of Palestinians.”

They say he doesn’t advocate for all people equally. “Goldman has ignored issues of Islamophobia. When a group of neighbors in the district had a tag sale to raise money for a family in Gaza, one of my neighbors was pepper sprayed in the face, and he was silent about that,” a constituent said. Goldman has, however, been vocal when Jewish restaurants are vandalized. “One thing that has bothered me is that he mentions Jewish safety in isolation when really, what we want is a vision of collective safety,” they added.

With Brad Lander entering the race, the team is now rallying behind this unified opposition candidate. Lander has endorsements from the Working Families Party, Zohran Mamdani, Bernie Sanders, Alexa Avilles, and Yuh-Line Niou. The Dump Dan team is excited to work behind a candidate who shares many of the values that got them engaged locally in the first place.

Dump Dan sits at nearly 1,900 Instagram followers, gaining over 600 between November 7 and December 18. The Dump Dan campaign helps us answer our original questions about what is needed in this moment from our politicians. Do we think Dan Goldman’s moral disposition is one that can adequately help marginalized people in need, and combat increasing wealth inequality in American politics? Likely not. It is time to Dump Dan.