Espaillat Adviser Made Racist, Islamophobic Attacks on NY-13 Challenger as Campaign Disavowed Him 1 Day Before Primary
Updated
Updated · City & State New York · Jun 22
Espaillat Adviser Made Racist, Islamophobic Attacks on NY-13 Challenger as Campaign Disavowed Him 1 Day Before Primary
2 articles · Updated · City & State New York · Jun 22
Summary
City & State reported that Rusking Pimentel, a longtime Adriano Espaillat adviser now on unpaid leave, said Darializa Avila Chevalier and Zohran Mamdani wanted to replace Dominicans in Washington Heights with Muslims and Haitians.
The remarks came in Spanish-language interviews and questioned Avila Chevalier’s Dominican identity, escalating a late-campaign smear effort that she said included anti-Haitian slurs, Islamophobia and lies about her family and faith.
Monday, Espaillat’s campaign said Pimentel was neither an official nor unofficial surrogate and that the congressman strongly disavowed the comments; Espaillat also told supporters not to question Avila Chevalier’s heritage.
Mamdani and state Sen. Gustavo Rivera condemned the attacks, with Rivera saying similar messages have spread through WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram in a close NY-13 primary where such rhetoric could sway a small bloc of voters.