The Democratic Socialists of America now have a House member who co-founded a group that endorses “armed resistance” against the United States. That is the concrete result of Tuesday’s New York City primaries. The stakes are not theoretical.
Darializa Avila Chevalier, 32, a doctoral student with no prior elected experience, defeated five-term Rep. Adriano Espaillat in the 13th Congressional District. Espaillat chaired the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
He lost to a candidate recruited by Justice Democrats — the group that launched Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — and backed by New York City’s socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Chevalier is widely viewed as ideologically even further left than Ocasio-Cortez. Chevalier co-founded Columbia University Apartheid Divest.
The group’s stated goals include undermining Western civilization. It endorses “liberation by any means necessary, including armed resistance.” It has expressed support for Hamas.
Chevalier participated in pro-Palestinian rallies immediately after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks. She helped lead the chaotic anti-Israel encampments at Columbia University. These are not campus debating points.
They are now the positions of a member-elect of the United States Congress. Chevalier champions core DSA priorities: abolishing ICE, defunding the police, and Medicare for All. She has posted disparaging comments about the American flag.
The 2026 midterms are now the next target for this coalition. State Assemblywoman Claire Valdez won the open seat in New York’s 7th Congressional District, left by a retiring representative.
Two DSA-aligned candidates, two victories. The organization that backed them has a mayor in City Hall and a growing congressional delegation. What is at risk is not simply a shift in the Democratic Party’s internal balance.
What is at risk is the party’s basic orientation toward the country it governs. A member of Congress who co-founded an organization that explicitly aims to undermine Western civilization and endorses armed resistance against the United States will now vote on defense funding, intelligence oversight, and foreign policy.
That member will have a staff, a committee assignment, and a vote on the floor. The investors watching this race understand what the numbers mean. Chevalier’s victory was a striking upset.
But the policy positions behind it matter more for what comes next. The DSA’s platform — abolishing border enforcement, dismantling police departments, nationalizing healthcare — is no longer a fringe academic exercise. It is the legislative agenda of a sitting member of Congress.
Espaillat was not just any incumbent. He chaired the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
He represented a district that covers parts of Manhattan and the Bronx. The DSA targeted him, and they won. New York City’s Democratic primaries are often a bellwether for the national party.
The 2018 primary that defeated longtime Rep. Joe Crowley and launched Ocasio-Cortez signaled a shift. Tuesday’s results signal a more radical one.
Chevalier is ideologically further left than Ocasio-Cortez. The organization that backed her — the same one that backed Ocasio-Cortez — now has a proven model for unseating entrenched incumbents. The 2026 midterms are the next target.
That is the concrete timeline. The DSA, backed by Mayor Mamdani and far-left organizations, scored multiple major victories. They intend to score more.
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