Mamdani urges Democratic Socialists of America to not endorse Jeffries challenger: report

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has urged the Democratic Socialists of America to not endorse a challenger to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, according to a news report.

Chi Ossé, 27, is challenging Jeffries. He represents the city’s 36th District, which includes North Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant, in the New York City Council, and is part of the DSA. He also endorsed Mamdani for mayor.

Mamdani on Wednesday urged DSA's New York chapter to not endorse Ossé, as he had been arguing privately, The New York Times reported, according to unnamed sources who attended the electoral working group meeting.

The mayor-elect believes that if Jeffries faces a serious challenge from the left, it might weaken his ability to secure mainstream Democratic support for his proposals in Congress.

“The choice before us is not whether to vote for Chi or Hakeem at the ballot box,” Mamdani said. “The choice is how to spend the next year. Do we want to spend it defending caricatures of our movement, or do we want to spend it fulfilling the agenda at the heart of that very same movement?”

Ossé posted on X after the meeting, writing, “I would be honored to take on this fight with you @nydsa. If you agree the situation is as dire as I do, vote yes.”

Before Mamdani's remarks, Ossé said that Jeffries had sold out his district, which includes gentrifying communities as well as working-class black neighborhoods that tend to be more moderate.

“In the last decade, he has also become an emblem of betrayal,” Ossé said. “He cynically uses race as a shield while he fails to fight fascism, sells out our communities, empowers conservative policies and funds mass slaughter.”

Representatives for Jeffries declined to comment to the Times.

About 1,000 DSA members attended the meeting on Wednesday either in person or virtually. They have until Saturday to vote on Ossé’s endorsement, then the organization’s entire membership has to approve it, followed by the chapter’s most senior leaders.