Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is stepping back from a growing push by New York City progressives to challenge House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries in the 2026 primary, underscoring tensions within the party’s left wing.
According to Fox News, the potential challenge comes from City Council member Chi Ossé, a close ally of newly elected NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Ossé recently filed paperwork to launch a congressional campaign targeting Jeffries’s Brooklyn seat, prompting questions about whether top progressives would support him.
Ocasio-Cortez made clear she is not backing the effort. She told reporters she was “not aware” of Ossé’s move but added, “But I certainly don’t think a primary challenge to the leader is a good idea right now.”
Mamdani, who belongs to the Democratic Socialists of America like Ossé, also offered cautious remarks. “I believe that there are many ways right here in New York City to both deliver on an affordability agenda and take on the authoritarian administration in the White House,” he said, stopping short of endorsing the challenge. Reports indicate Mamdani privately advised Ossé against pursuing the race.
Ossé’s move represents a direct push from the younger, progressive wing of the party against the Democratic establishment. It comes as Democrats have celebrated local and statewide victories, including Mamdani’s upset mayoral win and gubernatorial wins in New Jersey and Virginia.
Jeffries had also been hesitant to endorse Mamdani during his mayoral campaign, only providing support four months after the primary and shortly before early voting.
Ossé represents Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant and North Crown Heights neighborhoods and has built a reputation as a rising progressive leader. Elected to the City Council at age 23, he was the youngest member and the first Gen Z representative.
He first gained political prominence as an organizer during the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement.
While he has filed campaign paperwork under “Chi Ossé for Congress,” Ossé has not yet formally announced his candidacy.
He addressed criticism of his prior statements that he would only consider running under “very dire” circumstances, writing Monday on X that “it seems like we’re in a dire situation.”
The filing signals the start of a high-profile battle in New York’s progressive movement, one from which Ocasio-Cortez has publicly stepped back, leaving Ossé to navigate the challenge largely on his own.
