Incumbent NY 13th district Rep. Adriano Espaillat has lost his re-election bid to Daraliza Avila Chevalier, the community organizer who was backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani in the New York primary Tuesday night, according to reports.
The race pitted the community organizer backed by the city’s democratic socialist mayor against a five-term congressman.
Espaillat was the first person who had been an undocumented immigrant elected to Congress.
Avila Chevalier is currently a doctoral student at the City University of New York. Her victory underscores the influence of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s political movement as he builds allies in Washington.
“Tonight wasn’t our night but I love you anyway,” Espaillat told supporters. “When i came to this nation as a young immigrant boy, I could have never imagined that I would be a member of Congress,” Espaillat said. “That is the privilege of my life, to serve you the community, and I will continue to love and serve this community in the best way that I can.”
— with reporting from The Associated Press
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Editor’s Note: This story will be updated.
