Dalializa Avila Chevalier, a candidate backed by Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), walked out of a radio interview on Tuesday after being questioned about her past controversial social media posts.
The interview, conducted by the Spanish-language broadcaster La Mega, took place just hours before the candidates were set to be sworn in. Chevalier won the election in New York’s 13th Congressional District, securing over 49% of the vote, defeating incumbent Congressman Adriano Espaillat. During the interview, she declined to address the host’s inquiries about her previous comments online.
One of her now-deleted posts expressed her negative feelings toward the Dominican flag, despite her parents having immigrated from the Dominican Republic. In that post, she criticized what she described as “shitty nationalism,” suggesting that her absence of the flag from her profile was intentional.
This led to backlash from Dominican-Americans in her district, who felt she was distancing herself from Dominican culture. One organizer at La Mega asked Chevalier to speak directly to the Dominican community regarding her past remarks. She admitted feeling bad about many of her past social media comments but emphasized the need to focus on the community’s current issues.
When pressed specifically about her comments on the Dominican flag, Chevalier attempted to redirect the conversation back to pertinent issues affecting the residents of New York’s 13th District. However, as questions persisted, she grew frustrated, stating, “I’m not going to sit here and have different people yell at me.”
Shortly after, Chevalier rose from her seat, wished the hosts a “nice day,” removed her headphones, and left the studio. Her previous remarks had been met with criticism for advocating the abolition of police and prisons, along with opposing the American system. Throughout her campaign, she has called for a shift in focus from her past statements to current policy issues.
Chevalier had previously expressed regret for certain comments, including calling former Vice President Kamala Harris an “asshole” following her advice to Guatemalan immigrants. Despite apologizing, she maintains her stance on deportation policies, arguing that the situation is similar to facing “double jeopardy.” As she prepares for the upcoming general election in November, she is positioned to likely secure a seat in Congress.
