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The day after an election can sometimes feel a little disorienting. We can all Google who won, but why and what it means remain up for debate. Last night’s Democratic primary elections for Congress in New York, Maryland, and elsewhere are no exception. Progressive victories in New York City have gotten the most attention, but the story gets more complicated as you zoom out. Here’s what you need to know.

So why is everyone talking about NYC?

The Big Apple fancies itself the center of the universe (as a former resident, I think I’m allowed to say so). But voters there really did rebuke the Democratic Party powers that be, fueling lefty victories in three closely watched races. Former city Comptroller Brad Lander unseated Rep. Dan Goldman in a district that spans lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. State Assembly member Claire Valdez beat Brooklyn’s borough president for a newly open House seat. And Darializa Avila Chevalier, a Ph.D. student and first-time candidate who has supported abolishing prisons and once tweeted “Fuck Kamala Harris,” ousted five-term Rep. Adriano Espaillat.

What do the three winners have in common?

For one thing, they’re almost certainly headed to Washington this fall because of how overwhelmingly Democratic their districts are. For another, they’ve harshly criticized........

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