New York Democratic primaries pit Adriano Espaillat against Darializa Ávila

New York.- Early voting for the New York District 13 Democratic primary began this weekend with a tight race between Dominican Congressman Adriano Espaillat and progressive candidate Darializa Ávila Chevalier, in an election that has placed the leadership of the Dominican community in the United States at the center of the debate.

A Data for Progress poll conducted between June 3 and June 9 places Ávila Chevalier with 39% support compared to 35% for Espaillat, while 22% of voters remain undecided, keeping the race open ahead of the June 23 primary.

Despite the poll results, analysts believe that Espaillat maintains significant advantages thanks to his political structure, the support of community organizations, unions, and local leaders, as well as an electoral machine consolidated after decades of political activity in New York.

The campaign has also been marked by controversy surrounding posts and statements attributed to Ávila Chevalier regarding relations between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. His critics have interpreted some of those positions as favoring greater integration between both countries, a topic that has sparked debate within sectors of the Dominican diaspora.

The Haitian issue and topics related to national sovereignty have gained relevance in a contest where Dominican identity has acquired unusual prominence, becoming a mobilization factor for part of the electorate.

You can read: D’Oleo highlights Adriano Espaillat’s leadership in defending Dominicans abroad

The electoral process has been described by American media as a test of strength between the traditional leadership of the Democratic Party and the progressive wing represented by figures close to New York City Council member Zohran Mamdani, who has publicly endorsed Ávila Chevalier’s candidacy.

For the Dominican community, the election also represents a clash between two generations. Espaillat, born in Santiago de los Caballeros, became the first Dominican to reach a seat in the United States Congress and has built his political career around the immigrant experience and the representation of the diaspora.

For his part, Ávila Chevalier is part of a new generation of Dominican leaders politically developed in New York, with an agenda more linked to urban progressive currents and emerging movements within the Democratic Party.

With a high number of undecided voters and historically low turnout in this type of process, the mobilization capacity of each campaign will be decisive in defining who will represent District 13 and which vision will prevail within one of the most influential Dominican communities outside the Dominican Republic.