NY Rep. Hakeem Jeffries bristles at possible leftist primary challenge

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News on Jun 24, 2026

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NEW YORK — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries bristled Wednesday at the possibility he could face a leftist primary challenge after Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s slate of three progressive allies swept to big wins in the New York City congressional races.

The normally courtly House minority leader snapped at a Capitol Hill reporter who asked if he might wind up in the political crosshairs of Mamdani’s well-organized supporters as soon as the 2028 elections.

“Ask a serious question and I’ll give you a serious answer,” Jeffries told a Fox Business journalist, before pivoting to another scribe’s query.

Jeffries more politely brushed off suggestions that Tuesday night’s victories amounted to a losing skirmish with Mamdani.

“Listen, the mayor and I agree to strongly disagree about some of his endorsements,” he said. “Mayor Mamdani has been off to a great start as mayor. We have a great working relationship and that will continue.”

Three progressive candidates endorsed by Mamdani swept to big wins Tuesday, with Brad Lander toppling Rep. Dan Goldman and Darializa Avila Chevalier ousting Rep. Adriano Espaillat after both the incumbents ran with strong support from Jeffries. In the third race, Mamdani’s pick Claire Valdez beat Antonio Reynoso in the race to replace retiring Rep. Nydia Velazquez, a contest Jeffries stayed out of.

Neither Chevalier nor Valdez has committed to supporting Jeffries as Democratic leader in a future speaker of the House bid.

The Brooklyn lawmaker vowed that the primary drama would not distract Democrats from their bigger mission of retaking control of the House from President Donald Trump’s Republican allies.

“We’ve got candidates all across the country who are running to take back the House of Representatives so we can end the national nightmare,” Jeffries said, namechecking Democrat military veteran Cait Conley, who won the party’s nod to take on Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in a Westchester County-based swing district.

Jeffries almost faced a primary challenge this year when City Councilman Chi Osse considered a run against him in the central Brooklyn NY-08 district that includes his Bedford-Stuyvesant council district.

Mamdani helped pull the plug on that potential scrap when he urged his Democratic Socialists of America allies not to back Osse’s potential primary challenge.

After Mamdani allies swept to victories Tuesday, some progressive activists believe Jeffries could be more vulnerable than ever to a future challenge.

“Chi would have won,” tweeted Gustavo Gordillo, chair of the Democratic Socialists of America.

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