Left-wing Brooklyn City Council Member Chi Ossé neither confirmed nor denied the possibility of challenging Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in next year’s party primaries, following a report that he is privately weighing to do just that.
“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,” the 27-year-old Ossé said in a statement to Axios, which first reported that he is discussing the possibility of running. The council member declined to expound upon his statement when asked by amNewYork in City Hall on Thursday.
While Ossé’s remarks were hardly a confirmation that he is seriously considering running, he also did not completely shut the door.
Why could Jeffries be challenged?
Jeffries could be one of several establishment Democrats vulnerable to challenges from the left in next year’s midterms, particularly if Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani wins the Nov. 4 general election. Mamdani defeated more established Democrats, such as former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in the June primary and is the frontrunner in the polls, with a strong chance of becoming the city’s next mayor.
A Jeffries spokesperson did not respond to amNewYork’s request for comment.
Much like Mamdani, Ossé — who was first elected to a council seat covering much of Bedford-Stuyvesant in 2021 — is known for his viral social media videos, which often garner tens of thousands of views. He also authored and successfully pushed through “The FARE (Fairness in Apartment Rentals) Act” — a law requiring property owners to pay the fees for brokers they hire rather than forcing tenants to bear the cost.
Ossé is a close ally of Mamdani’s who has played a central role in the nominee’s campaign. The council member has campaigned, both in person and through viral social media videos, and rallied for Mamdani throughout the election.
The latest chatter on the left about primarying Jeffries first sprouted up when Mamdani won his district, which covers a broad swath of neighborhoods from Bed-Stuy to Coney Island, in the Democratic mayoral primary. Mamdani likely benefitted from the district’s rapidly shifting demographics, with younger progressive voters moving into areas like Bed Stuy that were once older and more centrist. So far, however, no other potential challengers have emerged.
Jeffries has also drawn the left’s ire for refusing to endorse Mamdani even as other moderate Democrats, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, have lined up behind their party’s nominee.
The House Democratic leader has also publicly scolded Mamdani for the lawmaker’s sharp rebukes of the Israeli government and ties to the Democratic Socialists of America, with whom he has a long-running feud.
The pair met in person twice over the summer and have spoken over the phone several more times. The New York Post reported late last month that the officials’ teams were in talks about Jeffries endorsing Mamdani, but he has yet to do so.
