Why Mamdani Is Unafraid to Turn on the Left

"He had been open about the fact that he did not want Chi Ossé, a popular leftist and 27-year-old City Council member, to undertake a primary challenge against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries next year. To make his point subtly, he had disinvited Ossé from his victory party. Then, to make it more bluntly, he showed up at a meeting of the Democratic Socialists of America and told everybody not to endorse Ossé. Ultimately, DSA listened to its mayor."

"The young councilmember joined DSA only this year, and some of the rank and file were skeptical of his commitment to the organization. Though the media has characterized Ossé as a staunch Mamdani supporter, he did not solely back the long-shot assemblyman in the primary. He co-endorsed Brad Lander and became an enthusiastic Mamdani backer only as the primary drew. Among DSA members who voted "no," there was a feeling that he was not truly committed to Mamdani or his politics."

Zohran Mamdani, as mayor-elect, actively discouraged Chi Ossé's attempt to mount a primary challenge against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, disinviting Ossé from his victory party and urging the Democratic Socialists of America not to endorse him. DSA complied with Mamdani's request. Mamdani's actions reflect pragmatic caution tied to his responsibilities as a 34-year-old democratic-socialist mayor and concerns about the political difficulty of defeating Jeffries. Rank-and-file DSA members expressed skepticism about Ossé's commitment after he joined the organization only that year and for co-endorsing Brad Lander before fully backing Mamdani.

Read at Intelligencer