Left-wing Gen Z City Councilman Chi Osse is planning to launch a primary challenge against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) in next year’s congressional race — a move made despite direct opposition from New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, according to the New York Post.
“He said he wants to strike when the iron is hot,” one insider said of the TikToker, per The Post.
According to a source, Mamdani told Osse he did not want him to mount a primary challenge against Jeffries, warning that it could upset the fragile truce between the party’s far-left and moderate factions. Mamdani had spent months working to bring the Democratic establishment together in preparation for his upcoming term as mayor, said the outlet.
“Strike while the iron is hot?” another insider complained to The Post. “How about listen to the next mayor, who is the hottest thing in politics right now.”
A second source confirmed that Osse has already begun assembling a campaign team to take on the Brooklyn Democrat.
The rift between Osse and Mamdani — both known for their active social media presence — was significant enough that Osse skipped the mayor-elect’s victory celebration following his historic win last Tuesday night, noted the outlet.
Osse rejoined the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) over the summer after previously leaving the group in 2020.
The dispute underscores what some political insiders see as a major challenge for the 34-year-old mayor-elect as he works to advance his ambitious socialist agenda. Mamdani will need to balance the interests of the Democratic establishment — including Gov. Kathy Hochul — with those of the insurgent far-left, which is looking to leverage his victory to take on more moderate Democrats.
Osse is expected to formally announce his campaign later this week, The Post reported.
Justin Chermol, a spokesperson for Jeffries, said in a statement the lawmaker “is focused on battling Donald Trump, ending the Republican shutdown of the federal government and addressing the crushing GOP healthcare crisis.”
Republicans have consistently voted to reopen the goverment; however, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, also from New York, has been instructing his Democratic caucus to repeatedly vote no for more than 40 days.
Mamdani campaigned on promises of affordability, free public services, and economic equality. But his victory party in Brooklyn offered none of that — featuring a pricey cash bar where drinks cost up to $22.
The democratic socialist celebrated his narrow win Tuesday night at the newly renovated Brooklyn Paramount, a historic music venue packed with cheering supporters. Mamdani edged out former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa to capture just over 50% of the vote, The New York Post reported.
But while the self-styled man of the people pledged free buses and universal childcare, his partygoers were greeted with prices more in line with Manhattan’s high-end cocktail lounges.
Photos posted by Politico reporter Jeff Coltin showed Pabst Blue Ribbon beers selling for $13, Montauk Summer Ale for $16, Indian Wells Chardonnay and Riesling for $15, and espresso martini coolers and old fashioneds topping out at $22. Even soft drinks cost $12, and a pretzel-wrapped hot dog went for $10, according to The Post.
The pricey menu quickly circulated online — and so did the mockery.
“Mamdani had a CASH BAR at his victory party,” conservative comedian Jimmy Failla wrote on X. “If you can’t get a free vodka from this guy, something tells me the free food and buses ain’t coming. Congrats, suckers.”
Critics called it a fitting symbol of what they view as hypocrisy from the incoming mayor, who ran a campaign focused on affordability while celebrating with bar prices out of reach for many New Yorkers.
“Nothing says ‘for the people’ like charging $22 for a cocktail,” one user posted.