Democratic Socialists vote against endorsing Ossé vs. Jeffries

Councilmember Chi Osse. Photo courtesy of BPL

CENTRAL BROOKLYN — CITY COUNCILMEMBER CHI OSSÉ WILL MOST LIKELY NOT RECEIVE AN ENDORSEMENT in his primary challenge against House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-08, after the Democratic Socialists of America voted against taking that action, according to City & State and other news sources.

The DSA’s online poll, running from November 19-22, showed 52% of eligible members of the DSA’s New York City Chapter voting against endorsing Ossé’s congressional campaign. The vote was 626-555 against the endorsement; 24 members abstained, City & State reported.

Jeffries, who was first elected to Congress in 2012 and began his freshman term in 2013 serving a wide swath of central and eastern Brooklyn, has become one of the most powerful and outspoken members of Congress. If Democrats succeed in flipping the House of Representatives in next year’s midterm elections, Jeffries is poised to be voted Speaker of the House.

The vote against endorsing Ossé represents another victory for Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a DSA member who advised the political club against supporting the 27-year-old councilmember’s primary challenge against Jeffries. Without that support, Ossé would encounter significant obstacles in defeating the widely respected Jeffries, now in his 7th Congressional term.

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