Darializa Avila Chevalier, the Democratic nominee for New York's 13th Congressional District, co-founded a group while at Columbia University that reportedly posted a goal to "eradicate Western civilization." Chevalier, who won her primary election Tuesday, has a background in community organizing and was endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The group, Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), posted on Instagram, "We are Westerners fighting for the total eradication of Western civilization." The post continued, "Our Intifada is an internationalist one — we are fighting for nothing less than the liberation of all people." The group also stated, "We reject every genocidal, eugenicist regime that seeks to undermine the personhood of the colonized."
Columbia University has stated it is not affiliated with CUAD. The group's social media posts have drawn criticism from various figures, including U.S. Senator John Fetterman, D-Pa., who wrote on X, "Anti-Israel. Anti-America. Anti-Western Civilization. Why am I the only Democrat in the U.S. Senate that refuses to excuse this or defend any of those self-identified communists?"
Further scrutiny has fallen on Chevalier's past deleted social media posts, which reportedly included anti-white women and anti-American sentiments. One post allegedly stated, "I forgot to get napkins so I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me."
Chevalier, born in Florida to Dominican immigrants, converted to Islam in recent years. She was interviewed by the Associated Press at a campus encampment against Israel in 2024. In a deep blue district, Chevalier is expected to be a strong contender in the November general election.