New York City Council member Chi Ossé has filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run in the Democratic primary for New York’s 8th Congressional District, setting up a challenge to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The 27-year-old progressive and Democratic Socialist is part of a growing wave of younger Democrats seeking to challenge long-standing incumbents.
Ossé, who represents Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant and North Crown Heights neighborhoods, began his political career as an organizer during the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. Elected to the City Council in 2021 at 23, he became its youngest member and the first Gen Z council member. His campaign filings mark a shift from earlier comments in which he dismissed the idea of running for Congress, saying on social media that “it would take a very dire situation in order for me to even consider spending the rest of my 20s in DC.” On Monday, he explained the current political climate “seems like we’re in a dire situation.”
Ossé has publicly criticized Democratic leadership, asserting, “The Democratic Party’s leadership is not only failing to effectively fight back against Donald Trump, they have also failed to deliver a vision that we can all believe in.” While he has endorsed New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, Ossé has reportedly been discouraged by Mamdani and his team from challenging Jeffries, who offered an 11th-hour endorsement for Mamdani during the mayoral race.
Jeffries’ campaign highlighted the incumbent’s record, noting he is “fighting hard to lower the high cost of living, address the Republican healthcare crisis, combat corruption and win back control of the House for the good of the country.” Jeffries has not issued a direct comment regarding Ossé’s challenge.
The 8th Congressional District, covering parts of Brooklyn, will be among several high-profile contests next year in which younger progressive Democrats are challenging long-standing incumbents, reflecting broader tensions over leadership, strategy, and generational change within the party.
