Hakeem Jefferies Gets Gen-Z Democratic Socialist Challenger
Hakeem Jefferies Gets Gen-Z Democratic Socialist Challenger In 2026 Midterms
The 2026 midterm election season is officially underway, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries drawing a primary challenger in New York City Council member Chi Ossé. Ossé has been teasing a primary run for some time before his Monday filing.
In an interview with Axios, the 27-year-old democratic socialist said that while he previously suggested he wouldn’t run for Congress, the current situation warrants exploring a run. The young city council member has been building his online presence with a viral political ed-style video series that covers everything from national politics to community-level issues.
If elected, Ossé would join fellow Gen-Z elected official Rep. Maxwell Frost on Capitol Hill. The council member’s style may seem reminiscent of the online sensation adopted by New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
In an August video, Ossé discussed how to “Trump-proof” the city through the Livable Future Package.
Launched in September, the Livable Future Package is a youth-led legislative campaign informed by four youth priorities on climate, housing, trans rights, and the anti-ICE movement. Several posts discussed affordable housing and deed theft in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights, both areas he represents in the city council.
But having a dope online presence alone will not be enough to win a congressional race. Jefferies has represented the district in Congress for over 10 years and is very well-known.
A lawyer and public policy strategist by trade, Jefferies served in the New York State Assembly from 2007 to 2013 before entering Congress.
Jefferies occupies a complex position in Black political spaces, serving as both the highest-ranking Black person in Congress and a standard-bearer of the centrist status quo.
Jefferies has offered strong vocal opposition to the Trump administration. Unlike his Senate counterpart, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Jefferies has been firm in refusing to concede to the fascist opposition. But like his predecessor, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Jefferies has had his share of performative moments and gestures. Remember the social media post of Jefferies holding that bat?
There are mixed opinions within the Democratic ranks on primaries, particularly regarding challenging incumbents. As reported by the Hill, Justin Chermol, a Jefferies spokesperson, said they welcomed the challenge.
“Leader Jeffries is fighting hard to lower the high cost of living, address the Republican healthcare crisis, combat corruption, and win back control of the House for the good of the country,” Chermol said in a statement. “We welcome this primary challenge and look forward to a rigorous debate about the type of serious leadership required to deliver for the people of Brooklyn and the nation.”
He offered tepid and somewhat late support for former Reps. Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman last year, when they faced challenges from AIPAC-backed candidates. Jefferies has come under criticism for his own support of AIPAC and Israel, particularly amid the ongoing devastation in Gaza.
Whether the dissatisfaction with Jefferies in national progressive circles translates to his district is yet to be seen. But Jefferies is no Eric Adams, the embattled one-term New York mayor who got pushed out in the 2025 election. A preliminary poll of registered voters released in October showed Jefferies with a commanding lead over the young city council member and other potential challengers, including progressive New York State Sen. Jabari Brisport.
Most of those polled had never heard of Ossé. Still, if Ossé follows through with his challenge, he will have seven months to build a case for voters of the 8th Congressional District.
Some have suggested that Osse’s challenge puts Mamdani and other progressives in a tight spot. According to reporting from Axios, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shared that she didn’t think it was the right time to primary the House minority leader. Axios reporting also suggested that even Mamdani and team may have “privately discussed” Ossé from running, as it could strain coalition-building with establishment Democrats.
Ocasio-Cortez is no stranger to taking on a powerful New York incumbent, running what some thought was an impossible race against former Rep. Joe Crowley in 2018. She took on the entire New York Democratic establishment in 2018 and shocked many with her grassroots campaign win.
As news broke of his filing, the leftist magazine Jacobin published an op-ed from Ossé on why he became a socialist. Although he did not mention his would-be opponent or Congressional Democrats directly, Ossé called out establishment politicians for offering “platitudes” while taking payouts from wealthy interests.
The article primarily focused on his recent membership in the Democratic Socialists of America. Ossé also spoke directly to the need for mass movements and political organizing to meet the needs of working families.”
“In deciding to run, I quickly realized that the problems we face as working people in Brooklyn, in New York, and in the United States more broadly are not disparate issues to be solved on an ad hoc basis but are different spokes coming from the same core issue: the economic system in which we live,” wrote Ossé. “Our power comes from building solidarity across the working class of every background and showing that when we fight together, we win. The organization is the mechanism for movement strength to be amplified in government and for principled politicians to be supported by the movement.”
SEE ALSO:
Trump Posts Racist AI Video Of Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries
