Congressman Adriano Espaillat has kicked off a bold ad campaign targeting his rival Dalializa Avila Chevalier, who has the backing of Mayor Zoran Mamdani. The ads highlight controversial tweets from Chevalier, notably one claiming that black and Arab men “fetishize ugly colonial women.”
“Meet the real Daria Riza, the one she tried to remove,” a narrator states, referencing the 30-second spot about the long-time Democrat representing northern Manhattan and the northwest Bronx.
The advertisement features clips of Kamala Harris, the former vice president and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, juxtaposed with Chevalier’s provocative tweet, “No nuance to add. Kamala Harris.”
The ad progresses to a video of Joe Biden, alongside a tweet from Chevalier asserting, “I will never give my vote to a rapist.”
Biden has denied allegations from a former Senate aide regarding a sexual assault from 1993 and has not faced any charges.
In addition, Espaillat’s ad shows an elderly veteran saluting while Chevalier’s post boasts about wiping his hands on an American flag.
“She doesn’t support veterans or the American flag,” the narrator points out.
Chevalier once tweeted, “I forgot to buy napkins so I just wiped my hands on the stars and stripes behind me” with a smiling emoji.
The ad also includes a mixed-race couple alongside Chevalier’s comment criticizing “black men” and “Arab men” for “fetishizing ugly colonial women.”
During a recent WNYC radio discussion, Chevalier downplayed the importance of her past tweets. Although she deleted the offending tweet, it was archived and still accessible online.
“I have no interest in relitigating the politics of my tweets, which is the politics of the past,” said Chevalier, who is 32.
She argued that revisiting old tweets distracts from the key issues she believes she stands for, asserting her progressive stance compared to Espaillat, particularly in relation to his record on Israel.
Espaillat countered during a debate that “her record is her tweets,” emphasizing the importance of owning one’s past online statements.
At 71, Espaillat is aiming for reelection in New York’s 13th Congressional District, a seat he took over from the late Congressman Charles Rangel. He’s notable for being the first Dominican-American elected to Congress and the chair of the House Hispanic Caucus.
Chevalier is also a Dominican-American immigrant advocate, active in movements against deportation and detention, and she’s gained attention for leading protests against Israel amid the Gaza conflict.
She is linked with Mahmoud Khalil, an anti-Israel activist whose deportation struggle has garnered significant attention from the left.
Chevalier enjoys the support of groups like the Democratic Socialists of America and the Justice Democrats, along with Mamdani, who has committed to backing her campaign against Espaillat.
This ad only touches on a fraction of Chevalier’s contentious tweets, which include declaring the U.S. a “disgrace to kings.” She has also expressed strong opposition to police presence, stating emphatically, “No police presence ever,” adding dramatic flair by clapping between those words.
