Darializa Avila Chevalier, a 32-year-old political newcomer and pro-Palestinian doctoral student, won the Democratic primary in New York's 13th congressional district on Tuesday, defeating five-term incumbent Adriano Espaillat with more than 49% of the vote. The victory marks a stunning upset in a race where Super PACs supporting Espaillat spent millions on negative ads, and attacks turned racist with false claims about her Dominican ethnicity.
Victory Speech and Campaign Platform
During her victory speech at a watch party in a Puerto Rican restaurant uptown, Avila Chevalier called the result "a new dawn" for the district. "I have faith in the future that I know we are stepping into today," she said. "No longer will we accept the politics that throw scraps at us and act like we should be grateful for them." She campaigned on universal healthcare, stronger renters' protections, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and banning large PACs from elections. Her signature pledge was "babies, not bombs."
Mamdani Endorsement and DSA Backing
Avila Chevalier's win cements the role of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani as a kingmaker for the left and highlights the rising influence of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). All three congressional candidates backed by Mamdani won their primaries, as did nine out of ten DSA candidates. Mamdani, who initially pledged to support Espaillat before reversing course, said of Avila Chevalier: "No one better than someone of clarity, of conscience and of conviction to be the next congressperson."
Background and Challenges
Avila Chevalier grew up "pretty poor" as the daughter of working-class Dominican immigrants in Florida before moving to New York to attend Columbia University, where she organized against sexual violence and for Palestinian and Black student rights. She was recruited by Justice Democrats, the group that backed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's 2018 upset. Avila Chevalier faced accusations of antisemitism for attending a pro-Palestinian protest on October 8, 2023, which Espaillat claimed celebrated Israeli civilian deaths. She denied this, saying she attended because she knew Israel's response would cause "thousands upon thousands" of deaths. She also faced Islamophobic and racist abuse, including false claims that she is Haitian.
Outcome and Reactions
If she wins the general election in November, Avila Chevalier will become the first Dominican woman elected to Congress. Representative Ilhan Omar congratulated her, writing: "We are very lucky to have a principled leader... Congratulations sis and welcome to Congress!" Other progressive winners, including Pennsylvania's Chriss Rabb and New Jersey's Adam Hamawy, also offered congratulations. Avila Chevalier criticized Espaillat for failing to support Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian Columbia University student detained by ICE for three months. The district, home to mostly working-class Black and Hispanic communities, includes Washington Heights, which has the largest Dominican population outside the Dominican Republic.
