From insurgent to establishment: Rep. Espaillat reckons with uptown shift to the left

Five-term incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat is facing a serious primary challenge in his Uptown Manhattan and Bronx congressional district from newcomer Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist riding a wave of voter fury against the Democratic establishment.

The unexpectedly tight race represents a role reversal for Espaillat, who a decade ago was the challenger taking on the entrenched establishment.

At the time, Espaillat, who was once undocumented and became the first Dominican American elected to Congress, embodied the district’s shift from a base of Black political power to one dominated by Latino voters.

Now, another shift is underway in the district, which is still majority Latino but has seen a decline in Black residents and an increase in white voters.

The changing demographics have been accompanied by a change in politics. Zohran Mamdani won nearly 60-40 in the district during the mayoral primary, handily beating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who had received Espaillat’s endorsement.

Espaillat may have missed a moment.

The Democratic Socialists of America says membership in its Upper Manhattan and Bronx chapter has spiked by 179% since October 2024. Espaillat's 32-year-old challenger, Avila Chevalier, is a dues-paying DSA member who has blasted him for his positions on Israel, taking money from AIPAC and for being out of touch with constituents.

“ New Yorkers deserve a representative who is here for our people,” Avila Chevalier said.

She pointed to Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was arrested last year at his apartment in the district by ICE officers and then taken to an out-of-state detention facility where he was held for more than three months.

Avila Chevalier said Espaillat did not do enough to help Khalil and his family amid that crisis, and blamed the incumbent's ties to pro-Israel donors for his inaction.

“I think so many New Yorkers are tired of waking up every single morning and seeing their tax dollars going towards a livestreamed genocide instead of being reinvested in their communities when so many of my neighbors are sleeping on the street,” Avila Chevalier said during an interview in Marcus Garvey Park.

An Espaillat spokesperson said the representative had met with Khalil and his legal team.

Avila Chevalier spoke with Gothamist a day after receiving Mamdani’s endorsement during a national television appearance.

That news came as a blow to Espaillat, who had endorsed Mamdani in the general election. Espaillat sought to downplay the news while speaking last Friday morning to reporters outside Sylvia’s, the iconic soul food restaurant in Harlem, before meeting with a group of local NYCHA tenant leaders.

“A race is not won by one endorsement,” he said. “It's won really by the voters and the votes that are cast in the district.”

By Saturday, his tone had shifted. At a rally in Harlem, Espaillat branded his opponent and her supporters as outsiders. He was joined by dozens of elected officials including City Council Speaker Julie Menin, Assemblymember Al Taylor, and union leaders and supporters.

“The city belongs to the working women and the working men of New York City,” Espaillat shouted into a bullhorn, “Not people that fly in from other states or from other parts of the world to try to impose their failed ideology. We're here to protect the many working men and women of this town, and we will fight to the bitter end.”

Espaillat campaign spokesperson Reginald Johnson said Avila Chevalier had "a remarkably thin record of accomplishments and a history of attacks against Democratic elected officials." He pushed back on the notion Espaillat was out of touch with the district, saying the congressmember had successfully fought for more access to ICE detention facilities and helped advance the Second Avenue subway extension and redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory.

Avila Chevalier is an Afro-Latina who, like Espaillat, is also Dominican. She's a grad student and works as an investigator for a public defender's office in Harlem. She's also a community organizer who has worked on immigration issues and helped lead the pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia University two years ago.

She was recruited to run in the primary by the Justice Democrats, the same group that backed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018 against former Rep. Joe Crowley, and Jamaal Bowman in 2020 against former Rep. Eliot Engel.

Both races tapped into a frustration with longtime incumbents who voters said were out of step with their districts. Some political observers say that sentiment is at play again in this race.

“There's a strong anti-incumbent fervor throughout the city, and I think we see it especially in District 13,” said Eli Valentin, a political analyst and author of "Politicking in the Barrio," essays on Latino politics in New York. He said if Espaillat loses, that anti-incumbent sentiment would top his reasons for why.

“People are just upset with the status quo, and Adriano represents the status quo,” he said.

On many policy matters, the candidates would likely vote the same way. But there are some key differences. Avila Chevalier wants to abolish ICE. Espaillat prefers speaking about “dismantling” ICE and comprehensive immigration reform.

Espaillat has voted to send military aid to Israel, including in April 2024, in its ongoing war against Hamas; Avila Chevalier is an outspoken critic of the country. Like other congressional races around the city, much of the debate revolves around frustration with the establishment.

For a voter like 50-year-old Jessica Bruno from Hamilton Heights, Mamdani’s election signaled a new energy and new momentum and she is looking for more of that in the upcoming primary.

“I honestly don't have anything against Espaillat, but again, like, let's get some younger, fresher, less staid blood in these races and see if we can't shake things up in a very good way,” Bruno said.

Avila Chevalier is under scrutiny over her social media history. There have been multiple reports about messages she posted on since-deleted accounts that call for the abolition of police, the end of military funding to Israel and attacks on several mainstream Democratic politicians.

“ I'm part of the first generation that grew up with the internet, and a lot who we grow into, that process was happening online,” Avila Chevalier said. “I wouldn't use that language today. I’m older now, and I'd like to think a little wiser. And now that I've stepped into this role, I'm just hoping to grow into the congresswoman that this district deserves.”

Mamdani said he was optimistic about Avila Chevalier’s campaign.

“ She said herself that a lot of these [messages] don't reflect her views today, and I'm incredibly excited to be supporting her and her vision for not only a New York City, but frankly, a United States of America that working people can afford,” Mamdani said.

For Espaillat, who has often been seen as a kingmaker uptown, the final days of this primary season will force him to go to the mat. He bristles at labels like “status quo” and “establishment.”

“I am not an ‘establishment’ elected official. I have come up against the grain,” Espaillat said. “I am the first formerly undocumented member of Congress. That makes me, I believe, a different and unique voice.”

But he also has little patience for questions about voters who feel the Democratic Party has left them behind.

“I think I know what the party stands for,” Espaillat said, “I think I have the pulse of the people that I represent.”

Early voting begins June 13. Primary Day is June 23.\

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to clarify the time period during which the Democratic Socialists of America's membership in its Upper Manhattan and Bronx chapter grew by 179%.