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Councilmember Chi Ossé Hints at Challenging House Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Citing “Dire Situation”
Brooklyn’s own City Councilmember Chi Ossé appears poised to challenge House Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries for his seat representing New York’s 8th congressional district. The speculation, which has been swirling, gained significant traction after Ossé’s name surfaced on Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings earlier Monday, signaling a potential bid for NY-08.
The plot thickened when Ossé, who had previously stated last month he wasn’t running, responded to a social media post that called him out on his prior remarks. The post quoted Ossé saying, “It would take a very dire situation in order for me to even consider spending the rest of my 20s in DC.
Just to be clear, I’m not running for Congress.” Ossé’s pithy reply?
“Seems like we’re in a dire situation.”
Speaking to Axios, Ossé confirmed he is “currently exploring” the challenge and validated the legitimacy of the FEC filings. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the current Democratic Party leadership, stating, “The Democratic Party’s leadership is not only failing to effectively fight back against Donald Trump, they have also failed to deliver a vision that we can all believe in.” Ossé, who recently rejoined the Democratic Socialists of America, emphasized these failures as key motivators for his potential run.
The potential challenge isn’t entirely met with progressive fanfare. Reports suggest that New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s team has been attempting to dissuade Ossé from running.
Additionally, Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, issued a statement indicating that “it is not the right moment to launch a primary challenge to Hakeem Jeffries.” It’s worth noting that Jeffries had endorsed Mamdani in the final days of the New York City mayoral race.
When asked about Ossé’s FEC filings during a press conference on Capitol Hill Monday afternoon, Jeffries seemed to welcome the prospective contest with a casual “Come on in, the water is warm.” His spokesperson, Justin Chermol, echoed this sentiment in a statement to ABC News, saying, “Leader Jeffries is fighting hard to lower the high cost of living, address the Republican healthcare crisis, combat corruption and win back control of the House for the good of the country. We welcome this primary challenge and look forward to a rigorous debate about the type of serious leadership required to deliver for the people of Brooklyn and the nation.”
Ossé, at 27, made headlines as New York’s first Gen Z city councilmember when he took office in 2022. He notably spearheaded the FARE Act, passed last year, which mandates landlords to cover broker’s fees instead of tenants. Ossé’s political journey has seen him briefly leave the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America in 2020, citing a lack of alignment, only to rejoin the organization in 2025.