A far-left Democratic ally of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will find out whether Mamdani’s victory last month will be a Democratic trend as he launches a primary challenge against Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader.
City Council member Chi Ossé, like Mamdani, is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
“The Democratic Party’s leadership is not only failing to effectively fight back against Donald Trump, they have also failed to deliver a vision that we can all believe in,” Ossé said, according to Axios.
Ossé is a former Black Lives Matter organizer.
In 2020, Ossé posted on Instagram, “We’re going to defund the NYPD. THE POLICE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS,” adding, I DONT SPEAK [pig].”
Although Mamdani swept to victory over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a fellow Democrat, and Republican Curtis Sliwa, Axios indicated he is not likely to use his coattails to support Ossé.
The incoming mayor has said he will spend much of early 2026 trying to build bridges to the many Democrats, such as Jeffries, who distanced themselves from his campaign.
Before Mamdani’s election, Jeffries was asked about a potential primary.
“If you ask me a serious question, I’ll give you a serious answer,” he said.
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Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York indicated she would not be pushing to have Jeffries toppled.
“I certainly don’t think a primary challenge to the leader is a good idea right now,” she said, according to Fox News.
“Leader Jeffries is fighting hard to lower the high cost of living, address the Republican healthcare crisis, combat corruption and win back control of the House for the good of the country,” Jeffries representative Justin Chermol said, according to The Hill.
“We welcome this primary challenge and look forward to a rigorous debate about the type of serious leadership required to deliver for the people of Brooklyn and the nation,” Chermol said.
A report in The New York Times said that although Ossé, who supported Mamdani, is a DSA member, he does not yet have the group’s support for the upcoming campaign.
The report noted that if Ossé does not get the local chapter’s backing, he might not go forward with the primary campaign.
Ossé will appear before the DSA group that makes congressional endorsements later this month.
New York City is not the only city dealing with a Mamdani effect. Far-left activist Rae Chen Huang is seeking to become the next Los Angeles mayor over incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, saying it is the next step in her social justice campaign and that she is “running against establishment and the billionaire class.”
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