Politics
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Q&A
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July 2, 2025
From Kirsten Gillibrand (“she ought to resign”) to Eric Adams (“a power-hungry, egotistical man”) to the Democratic institution, NYC’s Gen-Z political star doesn’t maintain again.
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New York Metropolis Council member Chi Ossé speaks at a rally in Brooklyn on Could 24, 2025.
(Madison Swart / Hans Lucas / AFP through Getty Photos)
Chi Ossé is the primary Gen Z member of the New York Metropolis Council and one of many youngest elected officers within the nation. Over the previous couple of years, Ossé, 27, who represents Bedford-Stuyvesant and elements of Crown Heights, has risen to prominence because of his catchy and charismatic presence on social media. Utilizing a string of viral movies, Ossé was capable of rally nationwide help for his FARE Act laws, which banned rental dealer charges in New York Metropolis. He has additionally produced a collection referred to as “Why Shit Not Working,” which highlights systemic failures in metropolis governance. In early 2025, Ossé grew to become one of the crucial notable backers of Zohran Mamdani’s profitable Democratic mayoral main candidacy.
I spoke to Ossé on Tuesday about Mamdani’s victory, the November mayoral election, his social media technique, the Democratic Get together, and extra. The interview has been edited and condensed for readability.
—Andrew Sciallo
Andrew Sciallo: Inform me in regards to the generational break up inside the Democratic Get together proper now.
Chi Ossé: We’re seeing a shift in priorities for the up-and-coming technology of Individuals. We see that in how we talk. It’s in what we wish to see change on this nation. That’s what we’re experiencing as a technology who don’t have the freedom and privileges of, no less than most of us, placing a down fee on a mortgage. I feel we’re experiencing plenty of the real-time results of late-stage capitalism, of a stage of complacency that exists inside our authorities, not solely by the Republicans, (however) by a few of our older Democratic leaders as nicely.
A variety of younger persons are tuning in. They’re pissed about what’s occurring in Gaza, and they’re pissed about their scholar mortgage debt. They’re pissed in regards to the financial system, and are both leaving the get together or voting for people that they see themselves in, like Zohran Mamdani, like AOC, like extra progressives which have been coming into our get together for years up till this level.
AS: I additionally wished to get your response to Kirsten Gillibrand and Hakeem Jeffries’ latest feedback about Mamdani. (Gillibrand was extensively denounced for falsely claiming that Mamdani had endorsed “world jihad.”) You lately posted on Instagram calling for Gillibrand to be primaried.
CO: Yeah, she ought to resign. I don’t suppose that she’s going to. It’s very upsetting, however unsurprising. I imply, her feedback have been simply racist and false. The rise of (Islamophobic) rhetoric after Zohran’s win is disgusting, and the truth that it’s occurring from a New York Democrat is gross. She’s form of been a do-nothing Democrat for some years now, solely engaged on behalf of her donors, whether or not it’s AIPAC or crypto. So it’s unsurprising, however nonetheless very disappointing.
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A variety of our institution Democrats do and say extra about progressives and folk who’re making an attempt to enter this get together with new and recent concepts than they do in opposition to Trump and Republicans. I feel it speaks to the truth that, , the one get together that actually does exist on this nation is the get together of oligarchs, proper? We see them (proudly owning) each Democrats and Republicans, and we actually see the pushback to insurgents like Zohran or AOC as a mirrored image of how a lot energy these oligarchs don’t wish to surrender, each with the assistance of Republicans and Democrats.
AS: How do you and Zohran plan to heal this rising divide between Arab and Jewish New Yorkers?
CO: I don’t know if I understand how we clear up the problems within the Center East, however what I’ll say is that, , Jewish people and Muslim people aren’t a monolith, proper? And Zohran acquired the second-most quantity of help amongst Jewish New Yorkers this previous main. A variety of younger persons are simply getting extra concerned and engaged in what is going on inside our nation and inside our world, and I imagine we are going to begin to see shifts inside that dynamic as we develop as an citizens.
AS: What do you consider the get together’s place proper now on trans rights? I’m questioning what the required steps are for protecting trans New Yorkers protected from being scapegoated and pawns in a political soccer, like we noticed through the 2024 election.
CO: I feel some Democrats have been doing a worse job than others. I don’t imagine that we should always flip our backs on the trans neighborhood in any means, form, or kind. I’ve been very proud to sponsor laws that has elevated trans healthcare and entry to trans healthcare for our trans siblings right here within the metropolis. I’ve advocated for funding, and I’ve gained it inside the metropolis funds alongside members of my LGBTQ caucus.
I do suppose plenty of Democrats try to show their again on trans folks, which I feel is disgusting. We noticed that after the November election. The true 1 % of the inhabitants we needs to be involved about aren’t trans folks however the billionaires and those that are hoarding wealth, and who’re liable for the financial inequality that we’re all experiencing inside this nation.
AS: I wished to ask in regards to the FARE Act. What was the catalyst for that laws, and did you count on it to take off the way in which that it did?
CO: I used to be on the lookout for housing myself, and simply coping with this unfair system, like being compelled to pay a dealer payment, which made me go to the drafting board. I used to be like, why are all of us simply accepting this as a actuality, and paying this dealer whom we’ve by no means employed, or typically by no means even met, to maneuver into an condominium that we’re already spending a lot cash on? I feel this was my second yr in workplace. I used to be like, let me see if I can do one thing about this. It is a very distinctive problem to New Yorkers, however one which involves the highest of individuals’s minds.
I obtained plenty of pushback from the true property trade. It actually gave me a more in-depth expertise to see how prevalent the true property foyer is inside New York State and New York Metropolis authorities, and the way a lot they strain native elected officers, state elected officers. It was really disgusting, however as somebody who’s youthful, who makes use of social media, I didn’t see anybody inside politics utilizing social media in a inventive approach to push that agenda. And I spotted early on that video was the medium of as we speak, and I invested closely in getting good modifying to push this invoice ahead, a lot in order that it grew to become the primary standard problem that folk wished to see the Metropolis Council go.
Everybody was speaking about it, and I knew it will pop off due to how many individuals have complained about brokers in my life. And I typically suppose the very best politics is when the reply is correct there, proper? Once you take heed to what the complaints are out of your group chat, from your loved ones, from your mates, out of your neighbors, after which attempt to discover a answer round it. And as soon as we launched it, and arranged round it, and put collectively an enormous coalition behind it, it popped off. And with the help of the general public, we have been capable of go it final yr.
AS: Inform me about the way you and Zohran Mamdani have been capable of forge this distinctive partnership through the mayoral main.
CO: I met Zohran perhaps 4 years in the past, after I first obtained elected. I feel we’re each very foolish folks. So we hit it off in a short time. It was July of final yr when he instructed me that he was occupied with operating for workplace. And I put him in contact with a pastor inside my district, gave him some recommendation about video filming and modifying, and started (advising) him as he was operating his race. When he posted his first marketing campaign video on Instagram, I went on his TikTok and didn’t see that it was posted there. I used to be like, “It’s important to publish it on TikTok!”
I feel he took plenty of inspiration from how we launched our FARE Act marketing campaign when it comes to short-form media being a way to push politics. I used to be undoubtedly completely happy to seek the advice of with him and to offer him recommendation and simply wished so as to add as a lot supplemental help, , working along with his group to spotlight completely different endorsements that he acquired, particularly with John Liu, and making an attempt to get his mission out in as many languages as potential. And dealing with the Working Households Get together very carefully on constructing that narrative of why we shouldn’t rank Cuomo, which I do imagine was very profitable.
We put collectively one of many final GOTV rallies on Sunday, and I cohosted it with the Working Households Get together. We obtained Tish James on stage to check Zohran to Barack Obama when it comes to the power and the charisma that he was bringing to the race. And having these phrases mentioned about him by Tish James inside Crown Heights was one thing I feel that helped on this race.
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AS: What do you say to critics who declare Zohran is missing help amongst Black New Yorkers?
CO: Cuomo gained the Black vote. (However) I actually imagine that as a democratic socialist operating on a citywide stage, Zohran made plenty of inroads. His finest voter group, which I don’t suppose is talked about sufficient, was youthful Black voters. And the truth that he nonetheless made a dent inside Black help, even when it was not the vast majority of help, means he nonetheless ran a really profitable marketing campaign and made some inroads and can proceed to take action.
AS: Discuss a bit of bit about your relationship with Mayor Eric Adams, who’s operating in opposition to Mamdani in November.
CO: He’s a really power-hungry, egotistical man, and doesn’t imagine in authorities collaboration. I attempted to have interaction with him a number of instances once I was first in workplace, however we simply had plenty of disagreements when it comes to how authorities ought to run. I feel it ought to run nicely. I feel he has completely different concepts.
He’s a really comical particular person. I don’t suppose Donald Trump and Eric Adams ought to have gotten into politics—they might have been completely positive in the event that they have been on actuality TV. I by no means need him to be ready of energy once more.
It is a man who obtained elected off the again of the wealthy. And over the previous 4 years, he’s needed to perform their bidding, elevating rents in each single yr that he’s been in workplace, chopping from psychological well being companies, chopping from a plethora of various companies with an austerity funds each single yr that the council needed to struggle to revive funding for each single time. And that kind of management in New York Metropolis is so uncreative. It doesn’t create hope, to not point out, , the bribery fees that he acquired and now cozying as much as Donald Trump. I imply, the checklist goes on. He’s not been defending New York, he’s been defending himself.
AS: What do you say to people who find themselves critics of a few of these younger leaders that are actually developing, like your self and Mamdani, who say that you simply guys are too younger, that you simply’re too inexperienced?
CO: I handed probably the most impactful invoice inside 4 years in workplace on the age of 26. The work speaks for itself. I feel plenty of the oldsters who say which are supporters of elected officers who’ve corruption fees, who’re working for billionaires and millionaires, and I don’t take these claims severely. I simply hold to the work.
AS: What’s the plan to achieve these skeptical voters for the final election?
CO: I do have faith in Zohran. I feel he’s a wonderful communicator. I imagine that his plan of financial populism, , goes to attraction to plenty of voters. Lots of people didn’t know him, and plenty of older voters don’t vote for folks they don’t know. That’s why lots of people voted for Cuomo. However there wasn’t plenty of enthusiasm behind Cuomo. So, , I feel that truth plus who Zohran is, what he stands for, what a tremendous orator he’s, is actually going to get him previous the end line in November.
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AS: As we’ve seen an increase in political violence throughout the US. Is that this one thing that considerations you personally?
CO: It’s a really poisonous time proper now in politics. And, , I want plenty of our leaders, people from the Republican Get together who’re appearing on it, , would calm the flames, but additionally, I want Democrats would talk about it extra. The very fact that there have been two Democrats who have been murdered a few weeks in the past, and it’s not being talked about, or it’s not like a main focus that’s being spoken about endangers all of us. I don’t concern for my life. I feel plenty of girls, particularly girls of colour, obtain a few of that, which is simply horrible. And I hope that extra leaders will begin to name that out.
AS: How necessary is it to you to have a life outdoors of politics?
CO: I’m a standard individual. So I simply attempt to get pleasure from my life. That’s how I keep balanced. I feel plenty of politicians don’t have lives outdoors of politics, and that’s why they turn into a bit corrosive inside their line of labor, as a result of it’s all that they’ve. However I had a life earlier than this, and I nonetheless have a life now.
Andrew Sciallo
Andrew Sciallo is a contract author and an adjunct professor of English at Tempo College and CUNY Tech.
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