NY-08: Chi Oss (D) files paperwork to run against Hakeem Jeffries (D) in New York
Last edited Mon Nov 17, 2025, 05:39 PM - Edit history (1)
New York City Council member Chi Ossé, a democratic socialist, filed paperwork on Monday to challenge House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) next year.
Ossé represents the city’s 36th District, which includes North Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant, in the New York City Council. He has represented the district since 2021.
The New York Post was the first to report last week that the 27-year-old council member was preparing to challenge the House Democratic leader against the wishes of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, whom Ossé endorsed.
Jeffries “is focused on battling Donald Trump, ending the Republican shutdown of the federal government and addressing the crushing GOP healthcare crisis,” Jeffries spokesperson Justin Chermol told the Post in a statement at the time.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5609193-chi-osse-files-paperwork-to-run-against-hakeem-jeffries-in-new-york/
= new reply since forum marked as read
I wonder if Chi Ossé (like Brad Ladner) had hoped to be getting a job in the Mamdani administration.
Mr. Mamdani has privately tried to discourage his ideological ally from running. The mayor-elect and his team fear that another high-profile challenge from the left might compromise his own bid to push the Democratic establishment to support his affordability agenda.
Mr. Mamdani also may want to avoid the optics of having Mr. Ossé challenge the House Democratic leader, who endorsed Mr. Mamdani in October after months of negotiation.
The disagreement caused Mr. Ossé to be disinvited from Mr. Mamdani’s election night watch party, according to two people familiar with the matter, even though he has been a frequent presence at Mr. Mamdani’s campaign events.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/nyregion/chi-osse-hakeem-jeffries.html
