Who is Darializa Avila Chevalier? The upstart NY democratic socialist who just beat a long-serving congressman

On Tuesday night, 32-year-old political newcomer Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated five-term democratic Congressman Adriano Espaillat, of New York’s 13th District, in New York’s primary election. The upset was stunning, especially given that Avila Chevalier was essentially unknown until less than a month ago when Mayor Zohran Mamdani lent his support to her campaign. Mamdani had previously backed Espaillat, but pivoted in the final stretch. “She is the daughter of a single mom case worker and she grew up with a commitment to the very people that politics have left behind,” Mamdani said while seated beside Avila Chevalier just three weeks ago on live TV. The announcement put the young candidate, who works in a law office and led Palestinian protests at Columbia University, on the map.While Avila Chevalier had mostly flown under the radar until that moment, she certainly won’t anymore. The community organizer and doctoral student with no political experience just pulled off one of the biggest upsets in New York’s history. Espaillat spent millions trying to defeat her, shining a light on her controversial past tweets—which disparaged Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. The candidate has said she “deeply regretted” the tweets. Supporters of Espaillat also inundated her posts with racist attacks. Still, the candidate, who has been critical of ICE and Israel, took more than 49% of the vote. If she wins in November, Avila Chevalier will be the first Dominican American woman elected to Congress. Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in Congress as well as the current chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. The congressional district at play covers upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx. “I have faith in the future that I know we are stepping into today,” she said during her victory speech on Tuesday. “No longer will we accept the politics that throw scraps at us and act like we should be grateful for them.” How Avila Chevalier set herself