Chi Ossé Challenges Hakeem Jeffries in Democratic Primary for Brooklyn District

Chi Ossé, a member of the New York City Council, filed paperwork on Monday challenging Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., in the Democratic primary for the House minority leader’s Brooklyn district.

The 27-year-old member of the Democratic Socialists of America is an ally of New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who is also a member.

Ossé said in a statement that the Democratic Party’s leadership is failing to effectively fight back against [President] Donald Trump and has failed to deliver a vision that we can all believe in. These failures are some of the many reasons why I am currently exploring a potential run for New York’s 8th Congressional District.

Despite taking a page from Mamdani’s playbook in launching a challenge from the far left, Ossé was reportedly privately discouraged from running by the incoming mayor and his team.

Ossé, who previously worked as a Black Lives Matter organizer and activist, has represented the city’s 36th District on the New York City Council since 2021. His district includes Bedford-Stuyvesant and North Crown Heights.

In a statement, Jeffries’ spokesman Justin Chermol highlighted the Democrat’s current priorities in Congress and pointed to the upcoming primary contest.

” 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,” Chermol said. ” 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.”