DSA votes to endorse Espaillat challenger Darializa Avila Chevalier

The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America voted on Thursday in favor of endorsing Darializa Avila Chevalier, who is running against Rep. Adriano Espaillat — setting up what could be a competitive challenge to one of the state’s most powerful incumbents by the ascendant leftist group behind Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The chapter also voted to endorse Assembly Member Claire Valdez, who is running for an open seat in Queens and Brooklyn.

In an online vote open to all members of NYC-DSA that closed at 6 p.m., 97% of respondents voted in favor of endorsing Valdez, while 82% voted in favor of endorsing Chevalier. Since both candidates cleared the necessary 60% threshold, the endorsements immediately advanced to the Citywide Leadership Committee, which held a meeting to consider them late Thursday night. It would be almost unheard of for the committee, which is NYC-DSA’s highest decision-making body, to buck the membership’s clear preference to endorse Valdez and Chevalier. If at least 60% of the Citywide Leadership Committee votes in favor of the endorsements, they will become official. NYC-DSA is expected to formally announce the endorsements Friday morning.

Valdez’s endorsement was never really in doubt. The state lawmaker is a longtime DSA member who was endorsed by the socialist organization when she successfully ran for Assembly in 2024. She now faces Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, a non-socialist progressive, in the race to succeed Rep. Nydia Velázquez. In addition to NYC-DSA, Valdez has been endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and United Auto Workers Region 9A. For his part, Reynoso has been endorsed by Velázquez, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council and numerous other progressive advocacy groups.

Chevalier’s endorsement is a bit more of a surprise. An anti-Zionist activist who helped lead the pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University, she was recruited by progressive group Justice Democrats to challenge Espaillat, an influential power broker in Upper Manhattan. Espaillat, the first formerly undocumented immigrant to serve in Congress, has a progressive voting record, but he’s also a staunch supporter of Israel, which puts him out of step with the socialist left. He also endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in last year’s Democratic mayoral primary, before throwing support behind Mamdani in the general election. 

As an incumbent, Espaillat will likely have the support of almost the entire Democratic establishment; the Congressional Black Caucus, which he previously sparred with, recently endorsed him for reelection.

Valdez’s race is NYC-DSA’s top priority, and there had been some concern within the organization that endorsing Chevalier could overstretch the group’s capacity, especially since NYC-DSA is also endorsing seven Assembly hopefuls, not to mention its incumbent state lawmakers. Ultimately, though, NYC-DSA members seemed to think the chance to win a House seat in Manhattan was too good to pass up.