Brooklyn City Councilman Chi Ose Seeks to Challenge Hakeem Jeffries

Chi Ose, the left-handed City Councilman from Brooklyn, has taken steps to run for Congress, with the aim of unseating House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Ose, known for his rebellious stance, has filed the necessary paperwork to establish a campaign committee named “Chi Osse for Congress” with the Federal Election Commission. This marks a significant move as he prepares to contend against Brooklyn Democrat Jeffries in the upcoming primary for the 8th Congressional District.

Jeffries, who has been a member of the House since his election in 2013, is in a position where he might become the next House Speaker, should Democrats reclaim a majority in the midterm elections next year. However, Ose’s challenge might attract substantial support from Democratic establishment figures.

Interestingly, Democratic Socialist Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani had previously advised Ose against launching a campaign, as he attempts to solidify connections with Jeffries and other prominent Democratic leaders in both Congress and Albany.

Yet, Ose—having just declared his intention to join the Democratic Socialist Party of America—seems determined to align himself with grassroots activists from the left wing of the Democratic Party. Reportedly, he expressed a desire to act swiftly, saying, “I want to strike when the iron is hot.”

Members of the Democratic Socialists of America in Albany, whose territory overlaps with Jeffries’s Congressional District—extending from Bedford-Stuyvesant to Coney Island and parts of Queens—include State Senator Jabari Brisport and Representative Farrah Sfurant-Forrest.

Mamdani, who seeks cooperation with the establishment to advance his policies and counter the actions of President Trump and the Republican Party, downplayed Ose’s electoral challenge at a recent event, expressing gratitude for Ose’s contributions to the City Council, particularly concerning tenant issues. “There are many ways to achieve affordable policy here in New York City,” he stated.

Additionally, the Progressive Change Movement Committee, a left-leaning organization, has also urged Ose to reconsider his run. Co-founder Adam Green remarked that following Mamdani’s significant win and the strong stance of House Democrats during recent legislative pushes, now may not be the right moment to take on Jeffries in a primary.