DSA will consider endorsing Espaillat challenger at candidate forum

The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America is still trying to decide which congressional races to get involved in this cycle.

NYC-DSA’s Electoral Working Group has scheduled a candidate forum with Darializa Avila Chevalier, a Harlem organizer who’s challenging Rep. Adriano Espaillat, for next week. The livestreamed candidate forum will be held on Wednesday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. It will be limited to DSA members.

This will be the sixth candidate forum DSA has held so far this year and the third focused on congressional races. Last month, the socialist group held forums to consider backing New York City Council Member Chi Ossé’s nascent challenge to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in central Brooklyn and City Council Member Alexa Avilés’ now-defunct primary run against Rep. Dan Goldman in the 10th Congressional District, which straddles lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a DSA member, played a key role in both races. He attended DSA’s forum on Ossé to argue against an endorsement, and the socialist organization ultimately decided not to endorse the city lawmaker, which led Ossé to end his campaign. DSA did  endorse Avilés, but Mamdani instead decided to back city Comptroller Brad Lander, who jumped into the race against Goldman on Wednesday and quickly consolidated so much progressive support that Avilés dropped her own bid.

The mayor-elect’s decision to back Lander over Avilés has not gone over well within the socialist organization. DSA’s member-driven endorsement process has long been a point of pride. “Together, we grappled with real questions of strategy and democracy, ultimately making a collective decision as to the future of our project,” a Dec. 3 email from DSA’s Electoral Working Group reads. “This is unlike how the elites and the Democratic Party (do things). Where they let powerbrokers make decisions, we empower everyday people to weigh in on the political choices that shape their lives.”

The key question now is whether DSA is interested in endorsing Chevalier’s challenge to Espaillat – and whether Mamdani will try to stop them. The 13th Congressional District is relatively favorable territory for DSA. In the first round of the Democratic primary, 47% of voters in the district backed Mamdani, while just 34% backed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. In the general election, 65% of voters in the district went for Mamdani. But the mayor-elect counts Espaillat, an Upper Manhattan power broker with influence over key City Council members, as an ally. Espaillat endorsed the democratic socialist in the general election, after previously backing Cuomo in the primary, and Mamdani just named Espaillat to his elected advisory committee.

Next month, DSA will hold a candidate forum to consider whether to endorse anyone in the Democratic primary to replace Rep. Nydia Velázquez, who recently announced she won’t seek reelection. Progressive Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso has already launched a campaign for the seat, but DSA is expected to support one of its own local electeds to succeed Velázquez. Potential DSA candidates for the seat include Assembly Member Claire Valdez, City Council Member Tiffany Cabán and state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez. Many DSA members have expressed support on social media for Valdez, whom Mamdani also reportedly favors.