Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Wednesday that he had not seen resurfaced social media posts from Congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier before endorsing her, but he continued to support her campaign and said her views had evolved.
Mamdani addressed the controversy during a news conference in Manhattan, where a reporter asked whether the deleted posts had concerned him or affected his decision to endorse Avila Chevalier’s Democratic primary challenge against Rep. Adriano Espaillat.
“No, I had not seen those tweets,” Mamdani said. “What I’ve heard from her, and what I know a lot of others in the district have heard from her, is that her views have evolved.”
Avila Chevalier, 32, is a Democratic Socialists of America-backed organizer running against Espaillat in New York’s 13th Congressional District, which covers parts of Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. Espaillat, 71, has represented the district since 2017 and serves as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Mamdani endorsed Avila Chevalier late last month during an appearance on MS NOW. She previously worked as an organizing lead for Upper Manhattan and the Bronx during his mayoral campaign.
Since the endorsement, Avila Chevalier has faced scrutiny over posts and reposts from a deleted social media account. The resurfaced posts date back to roughly 2018 to 2022, making them between 4 and 8 years old.
CNN reported that archived material included support for abolishing police, prisons, and national borders, along with calls to nationalize major industries and seize property from landlords. amNewYork also previously reported on her posts criticizing the U.S. military and calling for the defense budget to be reduced to zero.
On Wednesday, Mamdani defended Avila Chevalier by citing her work on behalf of immigrants and working-class New Yorkers.
He praised her record of helping New Yorkers who were “unjustly detained by ICE” and said she had advocated for people who are frequently excluded from the political process.
Mamdani also connected her candidacy to concerns about displacement in the district, describing residents’ fears of being forced from neighborhoods they helped build.
“I think that she would be an incredible champion for that district and for the city as a whole,” Mamdani said.
In a statement to amNewYork, Avila Chevalier acknowledged using language in the old posts that she now regrets, while arguing that the race should remain focused on conditions in the district.
“Mayor Mamdani knows what this race is about: building a movement that puts working people first, and that’s exactly what our campaign has done,” she said. “Those posts are from years ago and I used language and terms that I shouldn’t have and that I certainly wouldn’t use today.”
“I’ve grown immensely since then, and so has my understanding of how to translate the values I’ve always held — dignity, justice, accountability — into governance that actually delivers for people,” she added. “I proud to be part of new generation of candidates who didn’t grow up as part of a political machine or thinking they’d be a politician.”
The mayor’s continued backing comes as former city Comptroller Brad Lander, another congressional candidate endorsed by the mayor, has declined to endorse Avila Chevalier.
Lander appeared with Mamdani, Avila Chevalier, and the mayor’s other congressional pick, Claire Valdez, in a Knicks-themed television advertisement funded jointly by the candidates’ campaigns. But Lander told Jewish Insider on Wednesday that the appearance should not be interpreted as an endorsement of her campaign.
“I’m not supporting any other congressional candidates in New York City. I am focused on my election,” Lander told the outlet.
When questioned further, he said, “Different members of a team play different roles.”
Lander’s campaign confirmed to amNewYork that he is not endorsing any other candidates for Congress, despite appearing alongside Avila Chevalier and Valdez in the advert.
“He’s focused on his own race. He remains grateful for the Mayor’s support in his own race,” Lander campaign spokesperson Emily Minster said.
Lander is challenging Rep. Dan Goldman in New York’s 10th Congressional District, and unlike Mamdani’s other endorsed Congressional candidates, he is not currently a DSA member.
He said during a recent NY1 debate that he had left the organization over its promotion of an anti-Israel demonstration held after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. Avila Chevalier attended the demonstration and has defended her presence there, saying she was concerned about the Israeli military response in Gaza, City & State reported.
Meanwhile, Espaillat responded to Mamdani’s endorsement against him by emphasizing his support from labor groups and senior Democratic officials, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
“Mayor Mamdani is entitled to support the candidate of his choice,” Espaillat said after the endorsement. “But one endorsement does not make a race. Voters do.”
The candidates recently clashed over immigration enforcement and campaign funding as the primary has intensified. During a June 4 appearance on WNYC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show,” Avila Chevalier accused Espaillat of being insufficiently aggressive in confronting ICE and said the agency should be abolished.
Espaillat pointed to his own history as the first formerly undocumented member of Congress and cited his lawsuit seeking access to federal immigration detention facilities. The candidates also traded accusations over outside money, with Avila Chevalier criticizing Espaillat’s support from donors connected to AIPAC and the real estate industry, while Espaillat accused her of benefiting from “dark money” spent by an outside super PAC.
During the same radio forum, Espaillat raised Avila Chevalier’s past social media posts, adding to the scrutiny that has followed her campaign since Mamdani’s endorsement.
Avila Chevalier said Wednesday that she would continue campaigning on abolishing ICE, making housing more affordable and confronting corporate power. She accused Espaillat of focusing on her social media history rather than explaining why poverty and housing instability have worsened during his time in office.
“With just days until New Yorkers start voting, Congressman Espaillat is spending his closing argument re-litigating my Twitter history instead of explaining why poverty and housing instability in this district have only deepened under nearly a decade of his leadership,” she said.
Espaillat’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
At Wednesday’s news conference, Mamdani was also asked why he had endorsed candidates in some races but remained neutral in others.
He said he was proud of the candidates he supported but did not directly explain his decisions in the races where he withheld an endorsement, like NY-12 where he now resides.
“I’m one of those classic yet-to-make-a-decision voters that frustrate campaigns so dearly,” he said of his plans to vote primary.
Early voting begins Saturday. The Democratic primary is June 23.
