Three weeks before the Democratic primary in New York’s 15th Congressional District in the Bronx, things were going pretty well for socialist candidate Samelys López. Perhaps surprisingly well: the newcomer, endorsed by Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), had been gaining traction in an extremely crowded race, with twelve contenders all vying for the same job.

This was a once-in-a-generation opportunity in New York politics — an open seat. The well-liked progressive incumbent, José Serrano, was retiring after thirty years in office, spurring a free-for-all of mostly career politicians with name recognition aiming to replace him. For several of them, this was a chance to escape the term limits of their current jobs and step into a much more powerful role that they could potentially hold for decades.

The race was a who’s who of Bronx politics: City Council member Ritchie Torres (currently term-limited), former speaker of the City Council Melissa Mark-Viverito (term-limited when she left office in 2017), City Council member Ydanis Rodríguez (term-limited and, notably, representing a district in upper Manhattan, not the Bronx), state assemblyman Michael Blake (also a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee), and, last but not least, former state senator and current City Council member Rubén Díaz Sr, a controversial longtime figure in New York politics whose son, Rubén Díaz Jr, currently serves as the Bronx borough president.