Darializa Avila Chevalier, the 32-year-old democratic socialist who defeated five-term Rep. Adriano Espaillat in June’s Democratic primary for New York’s 13th Congressional District, is now working to build relationships with House Democrats after her primary upset. She is emphasizing that she is a coalition builder focused on delivering results, not simply an activist seeking attention.
In an interview with CNN published August 24, Avila Chevalier told the outlet: “Our movement has worked too hard for me to allow myself to be distracted. We’ve been talking about how do we come in strong on day one, and really, meaningfully build a model of co-governance that gives power back to working people.” She added that she is willing to work with anyone “who wants to actually deliver for working people.”
The challenge facing Avila Chevalier is that she arrives on Capitol Hill with a polarizing record. During her primary campaign, news outlets reported on tweets she wrote or reposted between 2018 and 2022 on a since-deleted account that called for abolishing police and ICE, criticized Democratic leaders, and expressed strong support for Palestinians. She also attended a controversial rally in support of Gaza the day after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Since her primary win, she has become a regular target of Republican criticism and Fox News coverage.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is taking a cautious stance toward Avila Chevalier and the other democratic socialist nominees who won primaries in safe Democratic districts. On NBC’s Meet the Press on August 21, Jeffries said he rejects the national Democratic Socialists of America agenda, wants to reform but not abolish ICE, and no longer supports Medicare for All after previously co-sponsoring the bill. He acknowledged, however, that the party will have a “broad caucus” in January.
The dynamics echo what happened after the 2018 midterms, when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other members of what became known as the “Squad” defeated longtime incumbents and quickly joined protests on Capitol Hill. Some of those members, including Ocasio-Cortez, developed an ability to work within the Democratic caucus and across the aisle on key issues. Others, such as former Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri and Jamaal Bowman of New York, became better known for activism outside the legislative process, leaving them vulnerable to successful primary challenges in later elections.
The stakes for Avila Chevalier and her allies could be significant. If Democrats win a narrow House majority in November, the incoming cohort of democratic socialists and their progressive allies could wield substantial influence over Jeffries’ potential bid for the speakership and demand concessions on a range of progressive priorities, according to CNN’s analysis of the party dynamics.
Avila Chevalier’s campaign centered on three main priorities: housing for all, opposition to unconditional military support for Israel (which she frames as “babies not bombs”), and abolishing ICE. On her first day in Congress, she has promised to cosponsor bills including Illinois Rep. Delia Ramirez’s Block the Bombs Act, the Green New Deal, Medicare for All Act, and legislation to boost unions and raise the federal minimum wage.
Rep. Delia Ramirez, a fellow progressive, has been vocal with Democratic leadership about ensuring Avila Chevalier and other far-left primary winners feel welcome. Ramirez told CNN that Avila Chevalier “asks questions, genuinely wants to grow, wants to learn” and wants to fight for her district. “She also understands she can’t come here and spend 20 years here before she can deliver,” Ramirez said.
Avila Chevalier’s path to Congress began in 2024 when she worked with students who occupied part of Columbia University’s campus to protest Israel’s military actions in Gaza. She is a doctoral student in sociology at the City University of New York who has spent three years attending deportation hearings and interviewing people caught up in the immigration system as part of her research on ICE enforcement.
For now, Avila Chevalier is focused on building support in her district through community events and meet-and-greets. Earlier this month, she joined New York state Sen. Gustavo Rivera to distribute backpacks and school supplies to families in the South Bronx, a part of the district that heavily favored Espaillat in the primary. The general election on November 3, 2026, is expected to be a formality in the heavily Democratic district, which has never been represented by a Republican.
Sources
- CNN — Avila Chevalier’s strategy for working with House Democrats, her background as a community organizer, her campaign priorities, and her response to past controversial statements
- NBC News — Confirmation of Avila Chevalier’s primary victory over five-term incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat in June 2026
- NBC’s Meet the Press — Hakeem Jeffries’ statement rejecting the DSA agenda and his stance on Medicare for All and ICE reform
