Progressive Wave Sweeps New York City as Justice Democrats Unveil Fresh Face in Congressional Primary
The Justice Democrats, a progressive group instrumental in electing fiery lawmakers to Congress, have just added a new contender to their lineup: Darializa Avila Chevalier, an upper Manhattan community organizer vying for Rep. Adriano Espaillat's seat in the Democratic primary. The district, New York's 13th, is looking to capitalize on momentum from Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's decisive victory, with Espaillat initially opposing him.
Avila Chevalier announced her candidacy Thursday morning, showcasing a video that highlighted Espaillat's ties to the Democratic establishment and special interest groups. In her statement, Avila Chevalier vowed not to accept donations from corporate PACs or special interest groups, instead promising to be "a working-class champion who can't be bought by billionaire donors or corporate PACs, and will always put the people first."
A seasoned community organizer, Avila Chevalier has worked tirelessly on behalf of New Yorkers in dire need. She led efforts to get residents out of ICE detention, assisted families facing family separation and deportation threats, and ran a campaign aimed at helping poor New Yorkers pay their subway fares. Most recently, she played a pivotal role in removing the J. Marion Sims statue from Central Park.
Avila Chevalier's platform centers on "housing for all," with investments in the New York City Housing Authority. She also advocates for divesting from the American military-industrial complex and redirecting those resources to programs that foster starting families in the United States, dubbed "babies not bombs." Additionally, she plans to campaign on expanding pathways to citizenship for immigrants and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
When speaking with constituents, Avila Chevalier is met with a laundry list of concerns: unaffordable rent, groceries, education, and the fear of being abducted by ICE. She believes Espaillat's failure to address these issues would be a clear reason for her candidacy.
The Democratic Party, in Avila Chevalier's view, should prioritize addressing working-class concerns over those of billionaires and corporations, many of which support former President Trump. Refusing corporate PAC money is key to achieving this goal, according to Avila Chevalier.
Regarding healthcare policy, Avila Chevalier supports Medicare for All and would sign the "Block the Bombs Act" on day one. Her stance on these issues is part of a broader progressive push to challenge entrenched interests.
As progressives look to maintain momentum from Mamdani's victory, they're eyeing Espaillat's ties to pro-Israel lobby AIPAC. The group has been a top donor to Espaillat's leadership PAC in both 2022 and 2024 elections.
With the district primed for another progressive wave in next year's primary elections, Avila Chevalier is poised to ride this momentum as the fifth candidate supported by Justice Democrats.
The Justice Democrats, a progressive group instrumental in electing fiery lawmakers to Congress, have just added a new contender to their lineup: Darializa Avila Chevalier, an upper Manhattan community organizer vying for Rep. Adriano Espaillat's seat in the Democratic primary. The district, New York's 13th, is looking to capitalize on momentum from Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's decisive victory, with Espaillat initially opposing him.
Avila Chevalier announced her candidacy Thursday morning, showcasing a video that highlighted Espaillat's ties to the Democratic establishment and special interest groups. In her statement, Avila Chevalier vowed not to accept donations from corporate PACs or special interest groups, instead promising to be "a working-class champion who can't be bought by billionaire donors or corporate PACs, and will always put the people first."
A seasoned community organizer, Avila Chevalier has worked tirelessly on behalf of New Yorkers in dire need. She led efforts to get residents out of ICE detention, assisted families facing family separation and deportation threats, and ran a campaign aimed at helping poor New Yorkers pay their subway fares. Most recently, she played a pivotal role in removing the J. Marion Sims statue from Central Park.
Avila Chevalier's platform centers on "housing for all," with investments in the New York City Housing Authority. She also advocates for divesting from the American military-industrial complex and redirecting those resources to programs that foster starting families in the United States, dubbed "babies not bombs." Additionally, she plans to campaign on expanding pathways to citizenship for immigrants and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
When speaking with constituents, Avila Chevalier is met with a laundry list of concerns: unaffordable rent, groceries, education, and the fear of being abducted by ICE. She believes Espaillat's failure to address these issues would be a clear reason for her candidacy.
The Democratic Party, in Avila Chevalier's view, should prioritize addressing working-class concerns over those of billionaires and corporations, many of which support former President Trump. Refusing corporate PAC money is key to achieving this goal, according to Avila Chevalier.
Regarding healthcare policy, Avila Chevalier supports Medicare for All and would sign the "Block the Bombs Act" on day one. Her stance on these issues is part of a broader progressive push to challenge entrenched interests.
As progressives look to maintain momentum from Mamdani's victory, they're eyeing Espaillat's ties to pro-Israel lobby AIPAC. The group has been a top donor to Espaillat's leadership PAC in both 2022 and 2024 elections.
With the district primed for another progressive wave in next year's primary elections, Avila Chevalier is poised to ride this momentum as the fifth candidate supported by Justice Democrats.
about Darializa Avila Chevalier!!! she sounds soooo cool and her values are everything 
like who wouldn't want a rep who's gonna fight for affordable rent, groceries, education, and immigrant rights? 
especially with the whole "babies not bombs" thing - that's like, totally on point 
just thinking about darializa avila chevalier's vibe, she seems like someone who really gets what's going on in that district and isn't afraid to speak truth to power 
her platform feels super relatable, like she's trying to fix the things that are broken for working-class people, not just a bunch of politicians' fancy words 
refusing corporate PAC money is like, the bare minimum we should be doing at this point 
and i love that she's all about housing for all - it's time we prioritize people over profits 
. I mean, I get it, Espaillat's ties to them are sketchy, but can't we just talk about the real issues here? Like affordable rent and education 
? And what's with this "babies not bombs" thing? Sounds like a bit of a buzzword to me 
.
If she can capitalize on the momentum from Mayor Mamdani's win, this could be a game-changer for NYC politics.