New York City Council Member Gears Up To Challenge Hakeem Jeffries In Primary

A progressive 27-year-old New York City Council member is considering vying against incumbent House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in the Democratic congressional primary.

Chi Ossé has not yet launched his official congressional campaign, only submitting his paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Monday. The news comes as younger, more left-leaning politicians, like New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, have appeared to gain traction nationwide.

“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 in a statement to HuffPost on Monday.

“These failures are some of the many reasons why I am currently exploring a potential run for New York’s 8th Congressional District,” he added.

Ossé represents New York City’s 36th District, which includes Bedford-Stuyvesant (also known as Bed–Stuy) and North Crown Heights, on the New York City Council, and began identifying as a democratic socialist this year.

On social media on Monday, he also hinted at a possible run for Congress.

A user on X asked Ossé: “How can Brooklyn voters take you at your word when just last month you said this? ‘It would take a very dire situation in order for me to even consider spending the rest of my 20s in DC. Just to be clear, I’m not running for Congress.’” Ossé made the remark to Axios last month when rumors emerged about his possible run.

“Seems like we’re in a dire situation,” he replied to the X user.

A spokesperson for Jeffries said he embraces the potential challenge from Ossé.

“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,” spokesperson Justin Chermol told NBC News in a statement. “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.”

In a Monday op-ed for Jacobin, a New York-based socialist magazine, Ossé said he joined the Democratic Socialists of America to fight for the working class and defend against fascism.

He also brought up his early endorsement of Mamdani, who ran a successful campaign as a democratic socialist.

“I joined DSA earlier this year because the movement surge that carried Zohran into office must grow into a tidal wave,” Ossé wrote. “We [DSA] wholeheartedly believe that the world can look different, that there can be enough to go around, and that we can make that our reality. Our power comes from building solidarity across the working class of every background and showing that when we fight together, we win.”

Notably, The New York Times reported that Mamdani tried to discourage Ossé from going up against Jeffries.

Representatives for Jeffries and Mamdani did not immediately reply to HuffPost’s request for comment.