Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said she does not support a primary challenge against House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., telling Axios on Tuesday that such a move is not a "good idea."
Her comments come a day after Chi Ossé, a member of the New York City Council, filed paperwork to challenge Jeffries in the Democrat primary for the House minority leader's Brooklyn district.
Ossé is an ally of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
"I certainly don't think a primary challenge to the leader is a good idea right now," Ocasio-Cortez told Axios.
Mamdani himself appeared to throw cold water on Ossé's bid.
"I believe that there are many ways right here in New York City to both deliver on an affordability agenda and take on the authoritarian administration in the White House," Mamdani told reporters.
Ossé, 27, is a Brooklyn progressive known for his activist roots and alignment with democratic socialist politics.
A vocal advocate on policing, housing, and LGBTQ issues, he represents the hard-left wing of the city's Democratic Party, pushing aggressive reform-driven policies.
"The Democratic Party's leadership is not only failing to effectively fight back against [President] Donald Trump, they have also failed to deliver a vision that we can all believe in," Ossé said in a statement to Axios.
"These failures are some of the many reasons why I am currently exploring a potential run for New York's 8th Congressional District."
According to the outlet, Ossé's team also created an ActBlue page for his campaign fundraising efforts.
Progressive Change Campaign Committee head Adam Green told Politico, "It is not the right moment to launch a primary challenge against Hakeem Jeffries."
Jeffries, who had long brushed off talk of an Ossé primary challenge, struck a confident tone Monday, telling reporters at a press conference, "Come on in — the water's warm."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.