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Jamaal Bowman on Election Night (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

Progressive candidates in New York, backed by millions in outside spending from emboldened progressive groups, appear likely to clinch several high-profile primary victories as mail-in ballots continue to be counted.

In four districts, progressive candidates have either won their primaries or are poised to as mail-in ballots continue to come in. Along with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs (D-N.Y.) decisive reelection victory in the 14th district, newcomers in the 15th, 16th and 17th also appear strongly positioned to win, which would all but secure their spots in Congress in the heavily Democratic districts come November.

And in the 12th district, progressive Suraj Patel is making his second attempt to challenge incumbent Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), who currently holds a narrow lead with thousands of ballots left to count. Maloney is one of two long-time incumbents to be potentially replaced by younger progressives, with former Bronx middle school principal Jamaal Bowman holding a substantial lead over 30-year incumbent Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.).

The races spanned some of the wealthiest and poorest districts in the country. Two of the four candidates found success despite being outraised by opponents, but all received backing from prominent progressive politicians and PACs. Two candidates, Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres, seem poised to become the first openly gay Black members of congress.

The apparent victories are part of a national trend of increased support for Black and progressive candidates in the wake of national protests against police violence and systemic racism following the killing of George Floyd, and a pandemic that has had an outsized toll on Black communities.

In the 16th district, former Bronx middle school principal Jamaal Bowman appears poised to unseat 30-year incumbent and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.). Bowman managed to raise nearly $1 million against Engels $2 million, with most of the funding coming late in the race after Engel was caught on a hot mic saying If I didnt have a primary, I wouldnt care at an event addressing police violence in the Bronx.

The race became a symbolic battle between establishment lawmakers and progressive challengers. Bowman earned endorsements from Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Justice Democrats, the progressive committee founded in 2017, also made its first ever independent expenditures in the race, spending $920,000. Engel had endorsements from Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Peloi (D-Calif.), as well as powerful New York politicians, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The incumbent was backed by outside spending from dark money groups Avacy Initiatives and Perise Practical. He is likely to leave the House after serving 16 terms.

The only progressive newcomer to outraise his competition was in New Yorks crowded 15th district primary. New York City Council member Ritchie Torres brought in nearly $1.4 million after progresive groups rallied behind him to try to stop the election of controversial City Council member Rubn Daz Sr. A Data for Progress poll from early June showed Daz leading the 12-person race with only 22 percent of the vote, alarming progressive groups who had flagged Dazs history of homophobic remarks and conservative-leaning votes. As of the most recent results, Daz is placed third.

Torres, who was elected to the New York City Council at the age of 25, grew up in a Bronx housing project and has a progressive voting record around issues of fair housing and criminal justice reform. Torres earned the endorsement of the New York Times earlier this month, as well as the End Citizens United and the Equality PAC, which supports openly gay candidates and others with strong support for LGBTQ rights.

In the 17th district, Mondaire Jones also made headway in a crowded race where a controversial candidate, New York state Sen. David Carlucci, held an early polling lead. Carlucci was a member of the Independent Democratic Caucus, which was accused by other Democrats in the New York State Senate of pushing a Republican agenda. Initially, incumbent Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, was in the running, but announced her retirement early in the race last October.

Unlike Torres, Jones trailed two candidates, Adam Schleifer and Evelyn Farkas, in fundraising, but had a strong lead in early results. Where the 15th district is one of the poorest in the country, the 17th district, which covers Rockland County and parts of Westchester County, is one of the wealthiest. Jones also had the support of the Equality PAC as well as prominent congressional progressives like Ocasio-Cortez, Sanders, Warren, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.).

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Progressive candidates with PAC backing on the verge of victory in New York - Center for Responsive Politics