Chi Ossé, the New York City councilmember vying to unseat House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, said Friday he will no longer run for the New York seat.
In a statement, Ossé, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, said he’ll withdraw his bid after not receiving backing from the democratic socialist group — an endorsement that would have likely ushered in support from other left-leaning voters who had propelled Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to victory earlier this year.
“Exploring the possibility of this run was important,” Ossé said in a statement. “As committed, I will not be launching this campaign without the support of the DSA, and so the exploration process has concluded.”
The move puts an early cap on Ossé’s campaign, after the 27-year-old councilmember filed paperwork to run for the Brooklyn-based 8th District just last month.
The DSA voted not to endorse the young councilmember’s challenge late last month, but he’d maintained that he’d stay in the race despite the lack of support, writing on X “IM NOT GOING ANYWHERE” after the decision.
But the campaign also faced sagging support from city leaders like Mamdani, who advocated against endorsing the city councilmember at a DSA forum last month and reportedly discouraged him from entering the race earlier this year. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has also said she wouldn’t support Ossé’s primary challenge.
Ossé aimed to topple Jeffries from his long-held post and usher in what he promised would be renewed energy in fighting back against President Donald Trump.
Jeffries, the top House Democrat, has rarely faced Democratic challengers for his seat and has been comfortably elected to the district seven times, winning the post most recently with 75 percent of the vote.
Ossé’s step back from the primary paves the way for a likely win for Jeffries, the biggest name in the race.
