In the months leading up to New York's Democratic primary, State Senate candidate Julia Salazar had some wind at her back. She was a Democratic Socialist insurgent, taking on an establishment incumbent in Martin Dilan, in a north Brooklyn district that appeared open to her progressive politics.

But in recent weeks, both her political convictions and her personal background have come into question. 

"She's 27 years old, and like all of us, she's more than entitled to change her politics," Daily News columnist Harry Siegel, who interviewed Salazar for the paper, told WNYC. "But on a lot of issues, like universal rent control, she wasn't able to clear the basic bar of what the policy actually means. Which is a big question when you're running for a State Senate seat ... particularly when you're running against another Democrat."

As far as her personal narrative, Salazar has also taken heat for misrepresenting the truth. She has said in various interviews and campaign statements that she's an immigrant of Jewish heritage who grew up working class, all of which now appears to be technically false.  

"She's a first-time candidate, so her biography is a big part of her appeal," said Siegel. "And it seemed like a compelling biography. [But we now know] she had a $685,000 trust fund," a detail which emerged from a publicized legal dispute involving Keith Hernandez and his ex-wife. 

The Salazar campaign had gained momentum following the upset primary win of Democratic Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez against long-time incumbent Joe Crowley. Many drew favorable comparisons between Salazar and Ocasio-Cortez, who are both young progressive women of color challenging the Democratic establishment from the left.

"For somebody running against another Democrat, it's odd, it's embarrassing," Siegel said, "and at a moment where we have a Birther-in-Chief in the White House, to have your second big candidate who's getting national press, exposed as someone who's not a reliable narrator of her own life, it's a disturbing and unhealthy thing." 

Harry Siegel, Daily News columnist, Daily Beast editor and co-host of the FAQ NYC podcast, spoke with WNYC's Richard Hake.