New York City Councilman Chi Osse is planning to challenge House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) for his seat next year despite opposition from Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
Osse, 27, wants to oust Jeffries as Democratic leaders are being blasted for their handling of the government shutdown.
But Mamdani reportedly does not want Osse to challenge Jeffries, who endorsed the mayor-elect in October. Rumors of Osse’s challenge led to the councilman not showing up to Mamdani’s victory party last week. Mamdani did not want to disrupt the “fragile peace” between centrist and progressive Democrats, according to the New York Post.
Osse has shown opposition to the Democratic establishment and could be among the next wave of progressives challenging it. He posted a laughing emoji on X in response to Jeffries reaffirming his support for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), despite intraparty strife. Osse blasted Schumer and Senate Democrats on Monday for compromising with Senate Republicans on government funding.
“Schumer and @SenateDems have failed Americans tonight,” he wrote. “Instead of holding the line against the MAGA fascists, they caved in exchange for empty promises. Walking away from these negotiations without a guarantee of extending the ACA tax credits is a big mistake and another reason why it’s time to put an end to this era of failed Dem leadership.”
Osse did not say in a statement to the New York Times whether he would challenge Jeffries, but he said he has been “hearing a lot of concern about Democratic Party leadership.”
“It’s a big part of why I worked so hard to get Zohran elected and defeat the establishment’s champion, [former Democratic New York Gov.] Andrew Cuomo,” he said. “Right now, I’m focused on serving my constituents and guaranteeing the success of Zohran’s agenda at City Hall.”
Osse is a Democratic Socialists of America member who took office in 2022 for his Brooklyn-based district. Like Mamdani, he is known for using social media to his political advantage.
New York City elections expert Michael Lange said Jeffries remains popular in his district and Osse would have a slim chance to win. Their matchup would be “cinema,” though, he said.
New York Democratic strategist Max Burns told the Washington Examiner that Jeffries’s political future will be heavily influenced by his actions on the Senate’s government funding bill, which is headed back to the House.
“For Jeffries, everything hinges on his ability to block the rotten funding deal Senate Republicans are trying to foist on the American people,” he said.
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“I credit him for boldly saying this is a bad deal, but if he fails to hold that line, you’ll see a lot of Democratic voters arguing it’s time for a wholesale change in leadership in the House and Senate,” he added.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Mamdani transition team and Osse for comment but did not receive a response.
