Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, long seen as the queenmaker of the party’s progressive flank, is now backing away from a potential mutiny against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — a development that speaks volumes about both the fragility of Democratic unity and the ambitions of the party’s younger, more radical wing.
The attempted insurrection? A potential 2026 primary challenge against Jeffries by none other than Chi Ossé, a 26-year-old Gen Z firebrand on New York’s City Council and a rising star in the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Ossé, a former Black Lives Matter organizer and close ally of NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, quietly filed paperwork to run for Congress, signaling the opening shot in what could become a generational and ideological showdown within the party.
But this time, AOC isn’t marching with the troops.
When asked about Ossé’s move, the normally combative congresswoman tried to keep her distance:
“I certainly don’t think a primary challenge to the leader is a good idea right now,” she said — a far cry from her past support of upstart challengers who’ve taken on entrenched Democratic incumbents.
Even Mamdani, fresh off a shocking mayoral victory that rattled New York’s political establishment, offered only a vague, diplomatic response when pressed. Though both Mamdani and Ossé are card-carrying DSA members, Mamdani appeared more focused on fighting “authoritarianism in the White House” than publicly backing his friend’s congressional ambitions.
According to The New York Post, Mamdani privately urged Ossé not to run, suggesting that even within the hard-left, there are limits — especially when it comes to toppling the party’s national leader.
So why now? Why Jeffries?
Because despite recent Democratic victories in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia, the progressive wing still sees the establishment — embodied by Jeffries — as too cautious, too corporate, and too compromised. And to them, Jeffries’ tepid, last-minute endorsement of Mamdani’s mayoral run after four months of silence was yet another example of leadership dragging its feet while the party’s base demands boldness.
But Jeffries isn’t just any Democrat. He’s the first Black lawmaker to lead a congressional party. He has a strong hold on the House Democratic caucus and has carefully navigated the chaos of post-Pelosi politics to keep the party functional. A direct challenge from someone like Ossé is as much symbolic as it is strategic — a way to test how far the left can push without cracking the foundation.
Still, the move is already drawing scrutiny — not just because Ossé is walking back his own words from last month, when he said he wouldn’t even consider “spending the rest of my 20s in DC,” but because it shows how deep the divide now runs. That quote didn’t age well. On Monday, he reversed course with a cryptic post:
“Seems like we’re in a dire situation.”
Whether that “dire situation” refers to Jeffries, Biden, or the direction of the party at large isn’t clear — but the message is unmistakable: The knives are out, and they’re pointing upward.
