Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has expressed opposition to a newly emerging progressive challenge targeting House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The insurgent effort comes from New York City Council member Chi Osse, who has begun preparations to mount a campaign in the 2026 Democratic primary.
Speaking to reporters, Ocasio-Cortez said she was previously unaware of Osse’s intentions and added, “I certainly don’t think a primary challenge to the leader is a good idea right now.”
Osse, who is a close ally of incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, filed initial legal paperwork through Katz Compliance this week to establish the campaign committee “Chi Osse for Congress.”
No formal announcement has occurred, but the filing establishes the legal foundation for a congressional run next cycle, according to Trending Politics.
The timing of Osse’s move has attracted attention, given that last month he had publicly dismissed the possibility of a challenge, stating that only a “very dire situation” would prompt a run.
On Monday, Osse wrote in a social media post, “Seems like we’re in a dire situation,” referencing his previous remarks and the current political climate.
The prospective primary pits Osse against Jeffries in territory both politicians are familiar with. Osse represents Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant and North Crown Heights neighborhoods on the New York City Council.
He is the youngest member of the Council and its first Generation Z representative, having been elected at age 23 in 2021 after organizing in the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020.
Osse’s city council district geographically overlaps portions of New York’s 8th Congressional District, which Jeffries currently represents in Congress, setting up the possibility of a contest between local and national Democratic leaders from the same area, according to Fox News.
Both Osse and Mamdani are members of the Democratic Socialists of America, a national organization advocating for progressive and socialist policies within the United States political system.
When asked about Osse’s possible campaign, Mamdani offered a cautious response, highlighting the existence of other approaches to address affordability and policy disputes without directly endorsing the congressional challenge.
The New York Post previously reported that Mamdani had advised Osse against running, although Osse characterized his preparations as responsive to the evolving political context.
Recent Democratic victories have further energized the party’s progressive activists.
In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill won the 2025 gubernatorial election, while in Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger became the state’s governor.
These results have been cited as causes for momentum within the progressive wing and are seen as context for the current push to challenge established leadership.
Jeffries, who has led the House Democratic caucus since 2023, withheld an endorsement for Mamdani during New York’s mayoral primary, providing his support only shortly before early voting following Mamdani’s upset victory in the Democratic primary.
The challenge by Osse is being watched as a rare high-profile effort to unseat a sitting House Democratic leader from the party’s left and is the latest example of tensions between the party’s activist and establishment factions.
As of this report, Osse has not released a public campaign platform nor held a formal launch event, while Ocasio-Cortez has reiterated her opposition to the challenge, cautioning against the timing and strategic merit of the bid.
Osse continues building support in his district, citing shifting political conditions and young progressive energy as motivations for his potential congressional run.
