Darializa Avila Chevalier, a progressive Democrat backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is challenging five-term incumbent Adriano Espaillat in the 13th congressional district primary, arguing the district has deteriorated under his leadership. The race is one of three competitive Democratic primaries in the city where Mamdani has endorsed candidates.
Avila Chevalier's Critique of Espaillat's Record
In an interview with the Guardian, Avila Chevalier questioned Espaillat's effectiveness since taking office in 2017. "You just have to look around our district and ask: have things gotten any better in the nine years that he’s been in office?" she said. "I would argue the answer is no, because we’ve seen an exodus of over 200,000 Black New Yorkers leave the city in the last two decades." Espaillat, the first Dominican American and first formerly undocumented immigrant in Congress, chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Espaillat has represented the 13th district since 2017, covering upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx. The deep-blue district includes Harlem and Washington Heights, with a large Afro-Latino population. During a WNYC candidate forum, Espaillat dismissed Avila Chevalier as inexperienced, saying, "Getting results in Congress is not a PhD program," referring to her studies at the City University of New York.
Mamdani's Endorsements and Campaign Support
Mamdani has also endorsed Claire Valdez in the 7th district and Brad Lander in the 10th district. He appeared with the trio in a basketball-themed ad aired during Game 1 of the NBA finals. On Thursday, Mamdani and Senator Bernie Sanders held a rally for the three candidates. Avila Chevalier served as Mamdani's organizing lead in the district, where he defeated Andrew Cuomo by nearly 60% to 40% in the mayoral primary. Espaillat had endorsed Cuomo in that primary.
Avila Chevalier's Background and Platform
Avila Chevalier, 32, has lived in New York for about 14 years. She felt "deeply abandoned by the establishment politics that we’ve had to live with for so long," she said. "In a community that is so often spoken of as though we’re merely statistics, as though the problems we face day in and day out aren’t the direct results of the policy choices that our leadership makes, I think it’s time for a change."
As a student at Columbia University, she organized against sexual violence, worked with Students for Justice in Palestine and the Black Student Organization, and advocated for ending mass incarceration and immigration justice. She currently works as a public defense investigator while completing her PhD at CUNY, where she is a union member of United Auto Workers Local 2325. UAW Region 9A has endorsed her.
"That really changed the course of my education and my PhD program, to be able to be part of a union that fought for me my work conditions, my wage and made it possible for me to continue my program," she said. "I was able to teach at a pace that was manageable, right, with a workload that was manageable, but also be paid enough to actually lead a dignified life."
Poverty and Policy Platform
The poverty level for New York City residents in 2024 climbed to 26%, according to the Robin Hood and Columbia University poverty tracker. About 35% of children in the 13th district live in poverty. Avila Chevalier said, "I think it’s time that we have a politics that actually invests in life, not just as rhetoric, that we put our money where our mouth is, that our budget reflects those values."
Her platform includes universal healthcare, greater renter protections, funding for children over war, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), banning big-money Super PACs, and prohibiting members of Congress from trading stocks. She has been endorsed by New York City Democratic Socialists and Justice Democrats, the group that recruited Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Campaign Finance and External Attacks
Avila Chevalier claims Espaillat "comes with a price tag" as an establishment politician beholden to wealthy donors, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Espaillat's office did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Avila Chevalier has been targeted by the pro-Israel doxing site Canary Mission for her pro-Palestine activism at Columbia. The site was used by the Department of Homeland Security in 2025 to target Palestinian activists for deportation.
An internal poll from Avila Chevalier's campaign in March found Espaillat leading 42% to 28%. A June 2026 poll by Data for Progress found Avila Chevalier leading 39% to 35%.
