Blab Politics
Espaillat Releases Ad Targeting Mamdani-Backed Challenger Over Past Tweets
On June 7, 2026, Representative Adriano Espaillat unveiled a 30‑second campaign spot that zeroes in on his Democratic primary rival, Darializa Avila Chevalier. The ad, aimed at voters in New York’s 13th congressional district—Harlem, the Bronx, and surrounding neighborhoods—interlaces footage of Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden with screenshots of Chevalier’s former tweets, which Espaillat says were offensive and have since been deleted.
The clip highlights several controversial messages: a post that read, “I have no nuance to add. F—k Kamala Harris,” another that declared, “I will never give my vote to a rapist,” a tweet that accused “black men Arab men fetishizing ugly colonizer women,” and a separate message in which Chevalier claimed she wiped her hand on an American flag because she had forgotten napkins. The narrator labels the campaign as a defense of Espaillat’s record against what he calls “nasty” tweets from his challenger.
Espaillat, who has represented the 13th district since 2017, is the first Dominican‑American elected to Congress. He is seeking a sixth term and has raised more than $1.3 million for his campaign. His legislative focus includes affordable housing, gun‑violence prevention, and immigrant rights.
Chevalier, 32, is a community organizer with a history of working on immigration‑rights and anti‑Israel protests. She is endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, Justice Democrats, and has received support from Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the 2025‑elected mayor of New York City who positions himself as a progressive challenger to Espaillat.
During a WNYC radio debate, Chevalier responded to the ad by saying she was not interested in relitigating the politics of her past tweets. She noted that while the tweets had been deleted, they were archived and retrieved from the internet.
The spot’s narrator proclaims, “Meet the real Darializa, the one she tried to delete,” and asserts that Chevalier will not stand by veterans or the American flag. The ad also shows an elderly veteran saluting and a photo of a mixed‑race couple.
The primary election for the 13th district is scheduled for September 12, 2026. Espaillat’s campaign has framed the ad as a rebuttal to Chevalier’s past remarks, while Chevalier’s campaign has yet to issue a formal response. As the primary approaches, voters will weigh Espaillat’s long tenure and policy record against Chevalier’s progressive platform and the endorsements she has received from left‑leaning groups and the mayor.
The clip highlights several controversial messages: a post that read, “I have no nuance to add. F—k Kamala Harris,” another that declared, “I will never give my vote to a rapist,” a tweet that accused “black men Arab men fetishizing ugly colonizer women,” and a separate message in which Chevalier claimed she wiped her hand on an American flag because she had forgotten napkins. The narrator labels the campaign as a defense of Espaillat’s record against what he calls “nasty” tweets from his challenger.
Espaillat, who has represented the 13th district since 2017, is the first Dominican‑American elected to Congress. He is seeking a sixth term and has raised more than $1.3 million for his campaign. His legislative focus includes affordable housing, gun‑violence prevention, and immigrant rights.
Chevalier, 32, is a community organizer with a history of working on immigration‑rights and anti‑Israel protests. She is endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, Justice Democrats, and has received support from Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the 2025‑elected mayor of New York City who positions himself as a progressive challenger to Espaillat.
During a WNYC radio debate, Chevalier responded to the ad by saying she was not interested in relitigating the politics of her past tweets. She noted that while the tweets had been deleted, they were archived and retrieved from the internet.
The spot’s narrator proclaims, “Meet the real Darializa, the one she tried to delete,” and asserts that Chevalier will not stand by veterans or the American flag. The ad also shows an elderly veteran saluting and a photo of a mixed‑race couple.
The primary election for the 13th district is scheduled for September 12, 2026. Espaillat’s campaign has framed the ad as a rebuttal to Chevalier’s past remarks, while Chevalier’s campaign has yet to issue a formal response. As the primary approaches, voters will weigh Espaillat’s long tenure and policy record against Chevalier’s progressive platform and the endorsements she has received from left‑leaning groups and the mayor.
