Brooklyn City Councilman Chi Ossé could mount a 2028 challenge to New York Sen. Chuck Schumer while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pursues the presidency, according to discussions reportedly taking place within the Democratic Socialists of America.
Ossé visited Buffalo and Kingston this week, where his remarks and public appearances had the feel of a politician positioning himself for a larger role.
“I think the era of wait-your-turn politics is over,” Ossé told a packed audience Tuesday at Kingston’s Unicorn Bar during a “Take Our Power Back” event hosted by the Mid-Hudson Valley DSA.
Seated onstage at the queer performance venue, Ossé declared, “The time for us, the socialists, is right now,” according to Hell Gate.
The councilman drew attention in May when he wrote, “Woke 1 was crazyyyy,” while defending comments he made in 2021 that “a cis white man should not be the next speaker of the council.”
Ocasio-Cortez echoed the “woke 1 was crazy” line last month before announcing on national television that she was freezing her eggs. “During lockdown, rhetoric in that time is not rhetoric that we would use today,” she said, attributing the earlier language to the atmosphere of the pandemic.
Critics interpreted the comments as an effort by both progressive lawmakers to soften their public images and appeal to more moderate Democratic voters.
At the Kingston gathering, Ossé, 28, advocated for publicly operated electricity. Before the discussion, he mingled with attendees and posed for photographs during a private happy hour, Hell Gate reported.
Several DSA sources told the outlet that internal conversations are underway about recruiting Ossé to challenge Schumer.
Assemblywoman Sarahana Shrestha, a member of the Mid-Hudson DSA chapter who also addressed Tuesday’s event, criticized Senate Minority Leader Schumer over his ties to the technology industry. Schumer’s term expires in 2028, and he has faced speculation about whether he will seek another term.
“We really need socialists leading the fight against big tech because I don’t trust moderate Democrats to do it,” Shrestha told a crowd filled with DSA supporters.
Asked by Hell Gate about the possibility of an Ocasio-Cortez presidential campaign, Shrestha said, “I think it’s not even a rumor.”
“DSA is openly trying to convince AOC that she should run,” Shrestha added. Ocasio-Cortez, whom she called the “Bronx girl,” is reportedly weighing the personal consequences of a presidential bid, including claims that her ambitions contributed to the end of her engagement to Riley Roberts.
“In some ways, she would be ruining her personal life forever,” Shrestha said. “I think it’s not a decision to be taken lightly.”
Ossé did not respond to calls from The Post. He also declined to rule out a Senate campaign when questioned by the DSA-friendly outlet, saying instead that socialists must win elected office to oppose fascism.
“I don’t believe that our current Democratic leadership is standing up to the plate,” Ossé said. “A lot of people are calling for change.”
The second-term councilman abandoned a congressional campaign last year after challenging House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries in a primary. His candidacy sparked what was described as a “civil war” within the DSA after Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged the organization to stop Ossé’s bid, warning that it could disrupt his first-year agenda. The two men have reportedly repaired their relationship since then.
Ossé was a driving force behind New York City’s controversial broker-fee ban, a policy critics say contributed to an immediate 15% increase in rents. He has also described Israel as a “terror state,” called a landscaping company with an Italian name a “red flag,” and boasted about knocking over a “Jesus worshipper” on the subway.
Political observers say a statewide campaign would present a formidable test for a candidate with Ossé’s far-left record.
“He’s a stone-cold antisemite, he won’t do well with the Jews — they’ll raise money against him. So will other people in business who don’t think he’s very good. He’s a bigot,” veteran Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf, who has worked on several successful statewide campaigns, told The Post.
“Statewide races are tough, they’re entirely different than working in the city,” he added.
“He’s testing it out. . . . It’s like a trial balloon — you throw it up in the air and if nobody shoots it down, you know you have some possibilities. That’s what he’s doing.”
Despite clamoring to “eat the rich,” Ossé attended the posh private Friends Seminary school in the East Village and regularly hobnobs with celebrities like rapper Ice Spice at the Met Gala and “Girls” actress Jemima Kirke. His father is an entertainment lawyer who represented hip hop mogul Jay-Z and his grandfather is a Grammy Award–winning record producer.
Ocasio-Cortez, Schumer, and the DSA did not return The Post’s requests for comment.
