It’s official: after much speculation, Brooklyn Council Member Chi Ossé has officially filed to challenge House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) in the 2026 Democratic primary for New York’s 8th Congressional District.

Ossé submitted his candidacy paperwork on Monday, and he and his team have launched an ActBlue page for grassroots fundraising. 

The 27-year-old is the youngest member of the City Council and is a recognized voice among progressives. 

In a statement to Axios, Ossé shared that his reason for the controversial decision is due to the Democratic Party’s failure to effectively fight back against republicans and a lack of vision overall. 

“They have also failed to deliver a vision that we can all believe in," said Ossé to the outlet. "These failures are some of the many reasons why I am currently exploring a potential run for New York's 8th Congressional District.”

Jeffries has held the 8th District seat—covering parts of South and East Brooklyn—since 2013, and should Democrats win back the House, he would become the first Black Speaker. 

In response to the news, Justin Chermol, Jeffries’s spokesperson,  said in a statement: "We welcome this primary challenge and look forward to a rigorous debate about the type of serious leadership required to deliver for the people of Brooklyn and the nation.”

Ossé, who recently joined the Democratic Socialists of America, is allied with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and, one could say, greatly helped his campaign rally the support of young Black voters.

However, the incoming mayor isn’t keen on this latest decision and has privately discouraged him from running, seeking unity among Democrats to advance city-wide affordability goals. 

On Monday, Mamdani said to reporters, “I believe that there are many ways right here in New York City to both deliver on an affordability agenda and take on the authoritarian administration in the White House.”

Though publicly, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) appeared to have also discouraged Ossé from running, likely due to the same sentiment. "I certainly don't think a primary challenge to the leader is a good idea right now,” she said to Axios about the young progressive’s decision.

This race reflects a broader national movement of younger, more left-leaning Democrats taking on senior incumbents they view as out of touch. It also fuels the debate around the party’s future as a new generation of young progressives is being ushered in.