Chi Ossé, a New York City councilman, has told allies he is preparing to challenge Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader of the House.
Nov. 10, 2025 (NYTimes.com)
Chi Ossé, a far-left city councilman aligned with the policies of Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, has told political allies that he is planning to challenge Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the top House Democrat, in next June’s primary.
Mr. Ossé, 27, hopes to follow Mr. Mamdani’s unlikely path, combining a vibrant social media presence, an insurgent campaign and on-the-ground support from left-leaning groups to lift him to victory.
But he may not have the mayor-elect’s support.
Mr. Ossé has spoken to various Democrats about his intentions, and is expected to announce his bid against Mr. Jeffries in the next few weeks, according to two people who have spoken to him in recent days.
When asked about his plans, Mr. Ossé did not confirm or deny them. He said in a statement that he had been “hearing a lot of concern about Democratic Party leadership. It’s a big part of why I worked so hard to get Zohran elected and defeat the establishment’s champion, Andrew Cuomo.”
“Right now, I’m focused on serving my constituents and guaranteeing the success of Zohran’s agenda at City Hall,” he added.
Mr. Mamdani has privately tried to discourage his ideological ally from running. The mayor-elect and his team fear that another high-profile challenge from the left might compromise his own bid to push the Democratic establishment to support his affordability agenda.
Mr. Mamdani also may want to avoid the optics of having Mr. Ossé challenge the House Democratic leader, who endorsed Mr. Mamdani in October after months of negotiation.
The disagreement caused Mr. Ossé to be disinvited from Mr. Mamdani’s election night watch party, according to two people familiar with the matter, even though he has been a frequent presence at Mr. Mamdani’s campaign events. Instead, Mr. Ossé said he spent the night “with my constituents at D.S.A. events celebrating Zohran’s incredible win.”
Mr. Mamdani on Monday sidestepped questions about Mr. Ossé, saying he was solely focused on preparing for his inauguration and would keep his “opinions just to the work of the transition.” Mr. Ossé’s plans to challenge Mr. Jeffries were first reported by The New York Post.
For Mr. Jeffries, any primary challenge will be a distraction from his main priority of trying to lead House Democrats into the majority. He has not run in a competitive primary since 2012, when he first won office in a Brooklyn district that encompasses gentrifying communities as well as working-class Black neighborhoods that tend to be more moderate, like East New York and Canarsie.
Justin Chermol, a spokesman for Mr. Jeffries, said he “is focused on addressing the crushing Republican health care crisis, combating Donald Trump’s scheme to gerrymander congressional maps and leading the effort to take back the House of Representatives in 2026.”
Democratic leaders have historically tried to discourage insurgent candidates, especially from the left, from challenging incumbents. That has not stopped several primary challenges to state lawmakers, including one whose district overlaps with Mr. Jeffries.
Any challenger ideologically aligned with Mr. Mamdani may hope that the mayor-elect, now a national figure who can raise large sums of cash for allies, would support their campaigns.
But Mr. Mamdani and his aides have stressed that he would not simply follow the endorsements of the local D.S.A. chapter, and would look to back candidates who can help him deliver on his agenda. It appears that Mr. Ossé may not meet Mr. Mamdani’s requirement.
Mr. Ossé, who was first elected at the age of 23 to the City Council in 2021, did not unconditionally support Mr. Mamdani for mayor until late May. He initially donated to the mayoral campaign of Brad Lander, the city comptroller, and to State Senator Zellnor Myrie; he could not donate to Mr. Mamdani because his campaign had already maxed out on contributions. He later told supporters to rank Mr. Mamdani No. 1 on their primary ballots, one of the earliest councilmembers to do so.
He has gained prominence for his accessible distillations of progressive policies on TikTok and Instagram. Last year, he introduced legislation, which passed and took effect in June, that forces many landlords to cover broker fees, instead of renters.
Like Mr. Mamdani, Mr. Ossé will seek support from the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, an influential organizing engine that has helped local progressives like Mr. Mamdani win recent elections. But unlike Mr. Mamdani, whose membership in the group dates back to 2017, Mr. Ossé’s roots are not as deep.
He said last month that he had recently joined the group, but as recently as 2023, he was telling followers that he is “not a D.S.A. member nor was I endorsed by D.S.A.” If the chapter signals that it may not endorse him, it could affect his plans to run, two people who have spoken to him about the race said.
Mr. Ossé is expected to appear later this month before the D.S.A.’s electoral working group, which handles congressional endorsements.
Nicholas Fandos contributed reporting.
Benjamin Oreskes is a reporter covering New York State politics and government for The Times.
See more on: Hakeem Jeffries, Zohran Mamdani, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Politics
