THE left shift in New York State’s Democratic Party continued this week as 27-year-old Julia Salazar trounced incumbent Martin Dilan in the primary to become the Democrat candidate for the 18th district of the state senate next month.

The Jewish socialist is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and formerly served on the organising committee of its socialist feminist group. Her victory follows that of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also a DSA member, to become the Democrat candidate for the US House of Representatives — also beating a longstanding incumbent, Joe Crowley.

Ms Salazar’s campaign focused on the exorbitant cost of housing in Brooklyn, although encountered controversy over her Jewishness, which was questioned, as well as her immigration status.

Britain’s left-wing organisation in the Labour Party Momentum has pointed to the DSA breakthroughs against entrenched Democrats as evidence of the renewal that could happen on this side of the Atlantic if open selection for parliamentary constituency candidates was introduced.