Darializa Avila Chevalier, a public defence investigator, defeated Adriano Espaillat in New York's 13th congressional district Democratic primary, unseating the five-term House member who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
The race covered Upper Manhattan and portions of the Bronx, a district marked by significant demographic diversity. Espaillat's loss marked a notable shift in a seat he had held through multiple election cycles.
Chevalier's victory was part of a broader showing for New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's endorsed slate. The mayor's three congressional candidates all won their contested primaries, delivering what amounted to a clean sweep across closely watched races in the city.
Alongside Chevalier, Brad Lander and Claire Valdez also secured primary wins with Mamdani's backing. The consistent success of his preferred candidates signaled meaningful influence within New York's Democratic primary electorate and reflected the mayor's alignment with candidates positioned on the party's progressive wing.
Author James Rodriguez: "Espaillat's ouster shows even entrenched congressional power can crumble when a challenger threads the needle on local support, and Mamdani just proved his endorsement carries real primary muscle."
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