She defeated a veteran Democrat and upset the party establishment. Here’s her strategy for Congress | CNN Politics

New York —

This August’s Dominican Heritage Reception at Gracie Mansion brought in a different crowd from years past.

Dozens of Dominican Americans, including activists more used to protesting than attending the event, mingled over trays of cheese empanadas and sancocho. Dressed in a butter yellow guayabera, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani took a moment to shout out the notable community members in the crowd. The longest, loudest applause went to Darializa Avila Chevalier, the 32-year-old democratic socialist who defeated the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in June’s Democratic primary.

Such friendly audiences, she knows, may become a rarity as she braces for Congress.

As the Democratic Party’s socialist summer comes to a close, Avila Chevalier has become one of the most polarizing — and potentially most influential — faces of an insurgency that has bested several congressional incumbents and left the party at a crossroads.