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Mamdani Urges D.S.A. Not to Endorse a Challenger to Jeffries (www.nytimes.com)
submitted 11 months ago by to c/usa@midwest.social
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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.

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[–] 11 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

OK, this is just a theory, and I'm trying to steel man Mamdani here, so don't come after me for this, but follow me. I have a strong suspicion that both the Green Party and DSA are compromised, whether it's by Democrats, CIA, FBI, or whatever. And my understanding is that Ossé is pretty new to DSA, and that he worked for the Kamala social media campaign. So what if Ossé is a plant by dems/cia/whatever into the DSA, and that's why Zohran and AOC don't support him, but they're not ready to come out and explain their reasoning, and admit that DSA is compromised. It's just a random theory of mine. Thoughts?

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  • [–] 3 points 11 months ago (1 child)

    It doesn't even have to be that fancy. It could just be that Ossé is kind of an idiot or something, and this specific challenge is unlikely to succeed and likely to produce a bunch of heat and friction while it is failing.

    I have no idea. I do kind of agree with the idea that if Mamdani and AOC are both weighing in publicly on this issue, then maybe they know something about it that I don't, as opposed to the "the ONLY explanation is that they're both compromised by the DNC and Ossé is obviously wonderful and we already know that and he's exempt from all the nail biting scrutiny which we aim at certain other socialist politicians" theory.

    For the Ossé supporters: Who is this guy? Why do you like him? I don't like Jeffries either, I think he's a bum for sure. Primarying him in general sounds great, to me.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chi_Oss%C3%A9

    Ossé worked for several years in the entertainment industry as a promoter.[5] In May 2020, amid nationwide protests over the murder of George Floyd, Ossé became a prominent Black Lives Matter organizer and co-founded the activist collective "Warriors in the Garden".[6] According to public statements, Ossé joined the Democratic Socialists of America in 2020 but left shortly after as he felt his views and those of the organization's did not align.[7] Ossé rejoined the New York City chapter in the summer of 2025, following Zohran Mamdani's victory in the 2025 New York City Democratic mayoral primary.[8]

    Ossé rejected an offer to serve as a delegate for Joe Biden at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, but ultimately elected to attend the event following the withdrawal of Biden, being granted a credential as one of approximately 200 influencers at the DNC.[9]

    Ossé filed to run in New York's 8th congressional district against Hakeem Jeffries in November 2025, but did not win the endorsement of the New York City Democratic Socialists of America.[22][23] Following the result, Ossé stated he would not run.[24]

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  • [–] 1 point 11 months ago

    I do think Jeffries is very much a dem that can be toppled, as is Schumer and Torres. But all kinda red flags are going up for me regarding Ossé. And I think Jeffries would even be easier to defeat in the near future(though now is better) than Ossé would be if he replaced him.

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