New York City Council member Chi Ossé, a close ally of socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, is now reportedly considering a primary challenge to House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, raising the prospect of an intraparty battle that could deepen the Democratic Party’s ideological divide.
According to a report from Axios, Ossé has privately discussed the idea of running against Jeffries in next year’s Democratic primary with several progressive groups.
The 26-year-old Brooklyn councilman, a former Black Lives Matter activist with a large social media following, has emerged as a prominent figure in New York’s left-wing political scene.
He campaigned vigorously for Mamdani during the mayoral primary, leading rallies and canvassing events for the democratic socialist who has shaken the city’s Democratic establishment.
Axios reported that Ossé’s potential candidacy “could drive a further wedge” between Mamdani and Jeffries, who has declined to endorse the socialist candidate ahead of next month’s election.
Any challenge to Jeffries, the outlet noted, would almost certainly “deepen the divide within the Democratic Party over age and ideology,” at a moment when the party is already facing internal turmoil, financial strain, and declining public support.
The news follows months of speculation that Mamdani’s allies were preparing to mount primary challenges against several high-profile New York Democrats, including Jeffries.
While the House minority leader has dismissed the threats, reports have circulated that some within his party were left in “absolute panic and fear” after Mamdani’s primary win, anxious about alienating the party’s activist base while wary of being tied to candidates perceived by voters as extreme.
That tension has already taken a political toll. Governor Kathy Hochul’s approval ratings have fallen sharply since she endorsed Mamdani, with one pollster describing her reelection prospects as “deeply vulnerable.”
Many Democrats now face the choice of aligning with an increasingly aggressive progressive faction or defending the party’s more moderate leadership.
Ossé has publicly denied any plans to challenge Jeffries. In text messages to Axios on Wednesday, he downplayed the speculation, saying, “All I have to say is that it would take a very dire situation in order for me to even consider spending the rest of my 20s in dc.” He later added, “Just to be clear, I’m not running for Congress.”
Still, the timing of the rumors has fueled anxiety among Democrats already wary of an emboldened socialist movement that has gained influence within New York politics.
Mamdani’s insurgent campaign has energized progressives but alienated moderates, who view his platform—focused on rent control, defunding police programs, and higher taxes on businesses—as politically toxic.
Jeffries’ camp has reportedly taken the threat seriously. Axios said the Democratic leader’s team “has already issued a smashmouth warning to his would-be opponents,” signaling plans to retaliate against any socialist lawmakers who target his congressional seat.
The potential challenge highlights the Democrats’ growing generational and ideological rift. For Ossé and Mamdani, it represents a test of whether the city’s far-left movement can extend its reach beyond City Hall. For Jeffries, it is a reminder that even the most powerful figures in his party are not immune from the upheaval reshaping Democratic politics in New York and beyond.
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