Chi Ossé, a 27-year-old councilman from New York City, announced on Friday that he would not pursue a primary challenge against Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader. Ossé had initially aimed to leverage a surge of leftist momentum following Zohran Mamdani's recent victory in the New York City mayoral race. However, after filing the necessary paperwork to run for the Brooklyn seat, Mamdani intervened to discourage Ossé from proceeding with his campaign.

Mamdani, the newly elected mayor, took the unusual step of lobbying the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a leftist organization that played a significant role in his campaign, to refrain from endorsing Ossé. He expressed concerns that a primary challenge against Jeffries could create unnecessary distractions that might hinder his administration's effectiveness.

In response to the lack of support from the DSA, Ossé stated, "definitely not running for Congress" without their backing. Following an exploratory phase, he concluded that a campaign against the House minority leader would not be feasible. In an email to his supporters, Ossé confirmed the decision to end his exploratory process and not launch a campaign. He acknowledged the authenticity of the email but did not comment on Mamdani's efforts to prevent his candidacy.