Darializa Avila Chevalier, a doctoral student and community organizer with no prior elected experience, defeated five-term congressman Adriano Espaillat in Tuesday's Democratic primary for New York's 13th congressional district, capturing more than 49% of the vote in a result that defied widespread predictions and millions in opposition spending.
The 32-year-old's victory in the upper Manhattan and Bronx district, which includes Harlem and Washington Heights, came despite a relentless campaign by Super Pacs backing the incumbent. She faced racist attacks questioning her Dominican heritage, Islamophobic slurs, and false claims about her background. If she wins the general election in November, she will become the first Dominican woman elected to Congress.
At her victory celebration at a Puerto Rican restaurant uptown, Avila Chevalier framed her win as a rejection of incremental politics. "No longer will we accept the politics that throw scraps at us and act like we should be grateful for them," she said. "I have faith in the future that I know we are stepping into today."
Her upset victory marks a significant moment for the Democratic Socialists of America, which backed both Avila Chevalier and the man whose endorsement proved decisive: Mayor Zohran Mamdani. All three congressional candidates backed by Mamdani won their races Tuesday, as did nine of ten DSA-backed candidates citywide. The mayor had initially pledged to support Espaillat before reversing course to back Avila Chevalier, a switch that drew criticism from some politicians.
Avila Chevalier, the daughter of Dominican immigrants who grew up in poverty in Florida before attending Columbia University, built her candidacy around her opposition to Israel's war in Gaza and a domestic agenda centered on universal healthcare, tenant protections, and abolishing ICE. She branded her campaign with the slogan "Babies, not bombs." She was recruited to run by Justice Democrats, the same group that backed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's historic primary upset a decade ago.
During the campaign, Avila Chevalier repeatedly attacked Espaillat as ineffective and beholden to wealthy donors, citing his acceptance of contributions from AIPAC and other establishment sources. She challenged him on his inaction regarding Gaza, particularly his failure to advocate for Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian Columbia student who was detained by ICE for three months and became a symbol of the Trump administration's crackdown on pro-Palestinian speech.
Espaillat defended his record and criticized her inexperience, saying that "getting results in Congress is not a PhD program." He also challenged her on her participation in a pro-Palestinian rally on October 8, 2023, days after Hamas attacked Israel. Avila Chevalier responded by saying she attended because she anticipated Israel's response would "cause the deaths of thousands upon thousands of people."
The race grew increasingly personal in its final stretch. Avila Chevalier, who is Afro-Latina and converted to Islam in recent years, endured racist and Islamophobic attacks. A former aide to Espaillat made inflammatory comments about making Washington Heights "a bastion of the Haitian, Muslim community." False social media posts claiming she was Haitian, apparently designed to exploit anti-Haitian sentiment in the Dominican community, circulated widely.
Espaillat himself condemned these false claims, and several elected officials, including Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Congressman Chriss Rabb of Pennsylvania, congratulated Avila Chevalier on her win. In a post-victory video, Avila Chevalier addressed the attacks directly: "I'm proud to be part of a generation of Dominicans and New Yorkers who reject racism and divisive politics and who fight for a future of solidarity and dignity for us all."
The district's demographic makeup, increasingly young and diverse with a significant working-class Black and Latino population, proved hospitable to a progressive challenger. DSA's fastest-growing chapter in New York is located in upper Manhattan, partly owing to Mamdani's mayoral victory. Avila Chevalier herself had served as the organizing lead for Mamdani's campaign before deciding to challenge Espaillat over what she identified as the district's growing frustration with his response to Gaza.
Avila Chevalier spent part of her twenties in Palestine, an experience she has described as deeply formative. That history, combined with her pro-Palestinian activism, drew accusations of antisemitism from opponents, charges she rejected. She noted that her criticism of Israel's actions was not a celebration of Hamas violence, saying she "would never celebrate the death of any human being."
She also addressed old social media posts disparaging Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, saying she regrets them and has grown beyond those views. In some interviews during the campaign, observers noted she came across as defensive and testy when questioned about her past statements.
Her policy platform reflects her organizing background and progressive orientation. She has called for "a politics that actually invests in life," arguing that government budgets should reflect stated values through funding for schools, housing, and social safety net programs. She questioned whether the district had improved during Espaillat's nine years in office, suggesting the answer was no.
Author James Rodriguez: "Avila Chevalier's win signals that Gaza activism and democratic socialist economics now have real electoral muscle in New York, and institutional Democrats are scrambling to catch up."
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