Of all the democratic socialists who piled into a Manhattan church on Wednesday evening, none had the cachet of the man handed a microphone toward the meeting’s close.
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani offered some pleasantries — “Hello friends, Zohran, he/him, Queens D.S.A.” — before launching into his mission: torpedoing the candidacy of a left-leaning ally, Councilman Chi Ossé, who is attempting to unseat Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the top House Democrat.
The remarkable scene was both a reflection of the tricky political calculuses Mr. Mamdani confronts as he prepares to take office next year and the egalitarian nature of a group that served as the grass-roots organizing machine of his political success.
Thank you. I was waiting for a reason WHY AOC and Mamdani did not support him (aside from “It’s not the right time”)
"*Some within NYC-DSA have decried Chi Ossé as an “opportunist.” That a politician sees our organization as a potential vehicle for advancement shouldn’t necessarily be a cause for alarm; on its face, it’s a good thing! However, Chi Ossé has repeatedly failed to align with NYC-DSA over the years until our endorsement could help propel him to Congress.
When given the chance to endorse Eon Huntley for State Assembly in 2024 against an opponent backed by the real estate and pro-Israel lobby, he decided to stay silent. He sought and didn’t get DSA’s endorsement back in 2020 during his initial city council run. Unlike Emily Gallagher, who ran without NYC-DSA then joined our Socialist in Office Committee, Chi declined to join our SiO."*
Outside of trading a Democrat who is well liked in his own district for another Democrat (meaning no gain in the house), it sounds like they are trying to ensure the DSA consolidates power in the State of NY, which leads to higher profile gains, which will lead to a potential Presidential run by a Democratic Socialist. So they are playing chess in the background and trying to be strategic. That’s why Mamdani is saying, “It’s not the right time.” Thank you. It makes more sense to me now.
Ok, that context does add a lot to the story, and it does make sense why Mamdani wouldn’t endorse him. It’s also concerning that Chi Osse wouldn’t back a candidate who was running against an Israeli puppet.