By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-06-16 16:08:14 | Updated at 2026-06-20 05:55:57
3 days ago
(Left) House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) speaks during a press conference in Washington on Feb. 9, 2026. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) (Right) New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks about the fiscal year 2027 budget in New York City on May 12, 2026. Timothy A. Clary / AFP via Getty Images
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have backed different candidates in a contested Democratic congressional primary, where early voting is underway for the June 23 primary.
Jeffries has thrown his support behind longtime incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) in New York’s 13th Congressional District, which covers parts of Harlem in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. Mamdani has endorsed Espaillat’s opponent, Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist who worked on the mayor’s campaign last year. The socialist challenger is also backed by progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
