A Democratic Socialist backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is headed to Congress after unseating a longtime incumbent in one of the biggest political upsets of Tuesday night’s primary elections.
Darializa Avila Chevalier, a 32-year-old community organizer and doctoral student affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America, defeated five-term Democratic Congressman Adriano Espaillat in New York’s 13th Congressional District primary. With nearly all votes counted, Chevalier captured roughly 49.4 percent of the vote, while Espaillat finished with approximately 45.9 percent.
The victory marks another major win for the Democratic Party’s increasingly influential socialist wing, as candidates supported by Mamdani scored multiple victories against establishment Democrats.
