The family members of NYC congressional candidates are getting oppo’d

There’s a major expensive election three weeks away, and you can tell because the opposition research is flying. We noticed a kind of gross trend in this year’s batch – a lot of it targets close family members of candidates, not the candidates themselves. 

Some oppo is aimed at shifting voters’ attitudes about a candidate, and some oppo is purely meant to get in the opposing candidate’s head. Blowing up a family conflict is a great way to do that. “I think that its biggest value is that it distracts a campaign internally for two days,” said one Democratic strategist who generally frowns upon the New York City campaign tradition. 

Alex Bores’ anti-Israel dad?

Congressional candidate Alex Bores’ dad, William Bores, is a former Communication Workers of America local union leader and longtime employee of ABC. He’s also repeatedly expressed the belief that “Zionists are Nazis!” as Jewish Insider reported this month. Responding to news about the death of a security guard in a bombing in Tel Aviv, he wrote on Threads: “What a shame, the world lost another supporter of genocide.” His son the Assembly member has staked out a decidedly pro-Israel position as he seeks to represent the district representing tens of thousands of Jews – so it’s a reversal of the more common dynamic of parents shocked by their kids’ pro-Palestinian views. “I love my dad, value what I’ve learned from him, and disagree with many of the things he’s said,” Alex Bores told the outlet.

Dan Goldman’s anti-Palestine wife?

The New York Times picked up a story about several divisive social media posts liked by Rep. Dan Goldman’s wife – and campaign treasurer – Corinne. She gave a thumbs up to posts from conservative accounts that compared Jewish advocates for Palestine to “Chickens for KFC,” and posts that suggested supporters of Gaza should be deported there. Goldman is also pro–Israel, but not quite as crass. “Like most married couples, my wife and I do not always share the same views, and any tweets she has liked as a private citizen do not speak for me,” Goldman told the Times. 

Micah Lasher’s ICE contractor-adjacent wife?

We got the yarn and tacks out for this one. Congressional candidate Micah Lasher’s wife Elizabeth Mann is on the board of Motorola Solutions, which the New York Post reported has done millions of dollars worth of contracts with ICE, an agency Lasher says he wants to abolish. The Post reported Mann is also CFO of Verisk Analytics, which owns an insurance database that ICE apparently uses to surveil people. Lasher told the Post that Mann “has built an extraordinary career, leads with integrity, and I couldn’t be prouder of her. I’ll keep on fighting ICE in Albany and to abolish it in Washington, while my opponents shovel dirt and falsehoods about my wife to the Post.” 

Claire Valdez’s border security-adjacent engineer dad?

Another big stretch: Socialist congressional candidate Claire Valdez’s dad Larry Valdez’s Texas-based employer helped build a border facility in Marfa in 2009 that ICE is now using, the New York Post reported. Valdez said her dad didn’t work on the border or Department of Homeland Security projects the Post mentioned. “For 45 years, my father worked as a civil engineer in the Lubbock office of Parkill, a firm with hundreds of employees across more than a dozen offices,” she told the tabloid. “I’m proud of him and my record of opposing Trump’s inhuman immigration policies.”

Darializa Avila Chevalier’s wage withholding relative?

One of congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier’s earliest and biggest donors, Pedro Chevalier, was sued for withholding wages from his employees at a hospitality staffing agency, Politico reported. His specific relationship to the candidate wasn’t reported, but he still lives in her home state of Florida. The candidate declined to comment.