NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani may back progressive challenger to Rep. Adriano Espaillat, report says

Dave Goldiner and Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News on May 28, 2026

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NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani is reportedly considering endorsing Darializa Avila Chevalier in her insurgent Democratic primary race to unseat incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat in Upper Manhattan’s NY-13 district.

The popular mayor is weighing jumping into the race ahead of the June 23 primary because polls show a tighter-than-expected contest as Chevalier, a fellow Democratic Socialists of America activist, runs a strong race, several mayoral advisers told the New York Times.

Mamdani declined to say anything about the NY-13 primary Thursday, but did not shut the door on future congressional endorsements as he seemed to do as recently as last week.

“If I have any endorsements, I’ll be sure to share,” Mamdani said as he left an unrelated press conference in Astoria.

An endorsement of Chevalier, 32, would also amount to a reversal of Mamdani’s reported vow to back Espaillat’s reelection after the five-term incumbent endorsed the future mayor in the 2025 general election, a switch from the Democratic mayoral primary in which Espaillat supported ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Mamdani went on to sweep to an overwhelming victory in NY-12, which stretches from central Harlem and El Barrio to Washington Heights and Inwood, with a slice of the Bronx.

Hizzoner may want to avoid missing a chance to boost a fellow DSA activist like Chevalier, especially if she is poised to win. But he may also not want to anger Latino supporters of the Dominican-born Espaillat.

Espaillat won unwanted attention this week when a flyer supporting his reelection used a photo of a random woman to depict Chevalier. His campaign denied responsibility for the ad.

The district is one of the most heavily Democratic in the nation, meaning the winner of the primary is all but certain to win the seat in November over token Republican opposition.

Some insiders say Espaillat, 71, is showing signs of complacency after 10 years in Washington, D.C. Chevalier raised more money from donors in the first quarter of 2026.

The insurgent challenger is a community activist who works for a tenants rights group and helped organize pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Espaillat is backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, an unpopular stance among progressive Democrats.