NEW YORK CITY — The Associated Press has called the race in the NY-13 Democratic primary for candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier.
The race for New York's 13th Congressional District has emerged as one of the city's most closely watched Democratic primaries, pitting the party establishment against the growing influence of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Avila Chevalier, a community organizer backed by the Democratic Socialists of America and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, won the crowded field with roughly 49 percent of the vote, ousting incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat in a major political upset.
Espaillat was endorsed by Governor Kathy Hochul and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Two other Democrats, Oscar Romero and Theo Chino-Tavarez, were also on the ballot.
"When I came to this nation as a young immigrant boy, I could have never imagined that I would be a member of Congress," Espaillat said after the race was called, according to the Associated Press. "That is the privilege of my life, to serve you the community, and I will continue to love and serve this community in the best way that I can."
The district spans Inwood, Washington Heights, Morningside Heights, Hamilton Heights, Harlem, East Harlem and Randall's Island, as well as portions of the Upper West Side and Upper East Side. It also includes the Bronx neighborhoods of Marble Hill, Kingsbridge and Fordham.
Despite the race's high profile, early tallies showed middling voter turnout across New York City. More than 420,527 New Yorkers had checked in to vote by 6 p.m. Tuesday, including mail-in ballots, according to New York City's Board of Elections.
Once all the votes are tallied and certified by the New York City Board of Elections, the official final totals will be announced. All results are unofficial until the Board of Elections certifies them.
Representative in Congress - 13th Congressional District
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