Mayor Zohran Mamdani has endorsed Darializa Avila Chevalier, the Democratic Socialists of America member challenging Rep. Adriano Espaillat in June’s Democratic primary in NY-13, walking back what was reported by Hellgate to be a handshake agreement to support the 71-year-old incumbent instead.

Espaillat endorsed Andrew Cuomo in last year’s mayoral primary, then swung behind Mamdani for the general election. The mayor reportedly promised to back Espaillat’s re-election in return. Mamdani appears to have broken that pledge. Avila Chevalier is a fellow DSA member, putting the mayor’s endorsement inside his own political home.

Espaillat has been a fixture of uptown politics for almost three decades, moving from the state Assembly to the state Senate to Congress. When he replaced Charlie Rangel nine years ago, he became the first Dominican American and the first formerly undocumented immigrant to serve in the House. He now chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and represents nearly half a million voters in NY-13, which runs from Morningside Heights and East Harlem through Washington Heights and into Kingsbridge in the Bronx.