On Wednesday night, less than 24 hours after socialists swept New York City’s Democratic primaries, hundreds of activists and supporters joined a victory call hosted by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) to discuss the next frontier.
Appearing onscreen next to far-left Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, Darializa Avila Chevalier, who just clinched the Democratic nomination for a New York House seat, encouraged viewers to canvas for a 29-year-old democratic socialist with no prior political experience.
Melat Kiros, Avila Chevalier told them, is “just an incredible human being.”
Avila Chevalier, 32, said the Denver, Colorado, upstart was facing an “incumbent who is just as bad” as the one she had just taken down, referring to five-term representative Adriano Espaillat, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
“I really want us to be able to build this people power that will help us deliver in the long run,” Avila Chevalier said. “Next on the pipeline is Melat, so please support her.”
The rallying call seemed to have worked. On Tuesday, Kiros defeated Rep. Diana DeGette, a 15-term lawmaker who has been in office since before Kiros was born.
