DSA Votes Against Endorsing City Councilman Chi Ossé’s Congressional Challenge to Hakeem Jeffries

By Yisroel R.

City Councilman Chi Ossé’s effort to secure the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) endorsement for his congressional challenge to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries fell short this weekend after NYC-DSA members voted against recommending the endorsement.

In an online vote held by the organization’s Electoral Working Group, 626 members voted against endorsing Ossé, with 555 in favor. The decision followed a crowded candidate forum earlier in the week, where Ossé presented his case to the group.

The vote comes at a sensitive moment for Ossé, who has aligned himself closely with DSA-backed officials in recent months, including Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani. Ossé strongly supported Mamdani during the mayoral race and has been trying to build on that momentum as he launches his congressional bid. But Mamdani himself urged members not to endorse Ossé, telling DSA that their focus should remain on affordability and policy goals rather than a difficult challenge against Jeffries.

Following the vote, Ossé said he plans to stay active within the organization, posting “NYC DSA FOREVER. I’m not going anywhere.” He has also applied to join the City Socialists in Office committee.

While the Working Group’s decision makes an endorsement unlikely, it does not completely rule it out. Individual DSA branches overlapping the district could still choose to advance the endorsement process, though doing so would require significant internal support in multiple rounds of voting.

Without full DSA backing, Ossé faces an even steeper climb in his attempt to unseat Jeffries, a race that would have been challenging even with the organization’s full support.