Far-Left Candidate Backed by New York Mayor Wins Congressional Primary on Nationalization Platform
Darializa Avila Chevalier, a 32-year-old community organizer backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, ousted five-term Democratic incumbent Representative Adriano Espaillat in New York's 13th Congressional District primary…
HONG KONG— June 24, 2026
Darializa Avila Chevalier, a 32-year-old community organizer backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, ousted five-term Democratic incumbent Representative Adriano Espaillat in New York's 13th Congressional District primary on Tuesday. Running on a platform that includes nationalizing large swaths of the private sector and abolishing deportations, Avila Chevalier secured a Democratic nomination in a district that has never returned a Republican to Congress — placing her general-election victory in November on near-certain footing.
A Record That Tested the Democratic Electorate
Avila Chevalier, who studied at Columbia University and was a member of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group — which later posted "Death to America" on its social media accounts — ran to the left of the party's established progressive wing, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Posts from 2018 to 2022, many since deleted, showed her calling for the abolition of borders, prisons, and police, framing the move as "possible, necessary, and the only moral way forward." In a recent debate with Espaillat, she doubled down on her position that no undocumented person should be deported, even those who had committed violent crimes and served prison time.
Her social media history drew further scrutiny for remarks about prominent Democratic figures and the United States itself. Avila Chevalier reportedly described the country as "a f-----g disgrace," called former President Joe Biden a "rapist" and "war criminal," and directed sharp language at Harris. She also chastised Sanders for what she termed his "liberal Zionism."
Mamdani Stakes His Political Influence
Mayor Mamdani, who first endorsed Avila Chevalier in May, stood by his backing after her past remarks became a campaign issue. He said he had not seen the posts in question and maintained that her views had evolved, pointing to her record assisting New Yorkers detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and her advocacy for working-class residents facing displacement. Mamdani characterized her as a potential champion for NY-13 and for the city as a whole.
The result is an early measure of Mamdani's political reach and signals the strength of the organised socialist left among Democratic primary voters in a district covering Upper Manhattan and part of the West Bronx.
What the Victory Signals for U.S. Policy
Espaillat, who came to the United States without documentation before becoming a naturalized citizen and rising to five terms in Congress, was unable to hold the seat against the challenge. His defeat and Avila Chevalier's platform — which calls explicitly for nationalizing large portions of the private sector and ending all deportations — mark a notable shift in the political profile of a safe Democratic seat at the heart of New York, the world's largest financial centre.
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