New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed a Democratic socialist running against Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), who is backed by the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee.
Mamdani’s endorsement of 32-year-old Darializa Avila Chevalier could shake up the race, as the progressive hopes to unseat Espaillat, the first Dominican American elected to the House.
Avila Chevalier, a political activist who touts her involvement in Columbia University’s pro-Palestinian encampment, is hoping to ride the progressive wave that installed Mamdani as New York City’s mayor. Given her involvement in the anti-Israel movement, Avila Chevalier has highlighted Espaillat’s endorsement by the AIPAC.
The New York City mayor announced his support for Avila Chevalier during a Thursday night appearance on The Briefing with Jen Psaki, saying that it will “take a new generation of leadership to ensure that the heartbeat of this party is once again the struggles of the working class, and in electing a champion like Darializa to represent Uptown Manhattan and the Bronx, we could have exactly that in Congress.
“We have to be fighting for a vision that reckons with the fact that working people were not left behind just four years ago or 16 years ago. They were left behind a long time before that,” Mamdani, who also describes himself as a Democratic socialist, said.
Espaillat, 71, has been in Congress since 2017. A staunch immigration reform advocate, he came to the United States as a child with his family under travel visas, which they overstayed. His family later left the U.S. in order to obtain green cards before returning.
Mamdani’s decision not to endorse Espaillat comes after the longtime congressman first endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo during last year’s mayoral race before coalescing behind Mamdani for the general election. But the endorsement has long-range implications for the Democratic Party, as Espaillat is a close ally of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Jeffries and Mamdani have a complicated relationship, with the New York congressman offering Mamdani a final-hour endorsement ahead of early voting while acknowledging the duo had “areas of principled disagreement.” Mamdani, for his part, squashed a primary challenge against Jeffries late last year from City Councilman Chi Osse, reportedly advising the Democratic Socialists of America from backing Osse’s bid to unseat the Democratic leader.
Espaillat has significant backing from Democratic groups, including the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Both the Latino Victory Fund and BOLD America political organizations have pledged to boost his bid as well.
“I am proud to have the support of a strong coalition, including labor unions, advocacy groups, Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, Leader Jeffries, and countless community leaders who have seen my work and accomplishments firsthand,” Espaillat said in a statement. “Mayor Mamdani is entitled to support the candidate of his choice. But one endorsement does not make a race. Voters do.”
He continued, “I will continue doing what I have always done, listening to voters, showing up in every corner of the district, and earning support by meeting voters where they are and fighting for the issues that matter most to them.
New York City’s most famous progressive member of Congress, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), has not endorsed anyone in the contest.
AL GREEN WAS A FIGHTER FOR THE DEMOCRATS. HE LOST HIS TEXAS PRIMARY ANYWAY
National Republican Congressional Committee press secretary Mike Marinella jabbed Mamdani’s endorsement in a Friday statement, saying that “The Democrat Party’s org chart is getting easier to understand: radical socialist Zohran Mamdani at the top, disgruntled Democrats fighting each other in the middle, and so-called ‘Leader’ Hakeem Jeffries buried somewhere beneath 50 feet of irrelevance.”
He said, “Every House Democrat will bend their knee to their socialist leader, as they’ve done before.”