Fundraising Controversy for Congressional Candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Darializa Avila Chevalier has raised over $350,000 between April and June, with more than 60% of donations coming from outside her Manhattan and Bronx district, including significant real estate-related contributions despite her campaign pledges. This fundraising disparity, along with her controversial social media posts, has intensified scrutiny of her progressive campaign as she challenges incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who outpaced her with $740,000 raised in the same period.

Darializa Avila Chevalier, a congressional candidate challenging incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat in the Manhattan and Bronx district, has raised more than $350,000 between April 1 and June 3, with a significant portion coming from out-of-state donors. According to her campaign disclosures, over 60% of these contributions originated outside the district, including more than $80,000 from California. This appears to contradict her campaign messaging, which describes her as “100% powered by the people” on her website.

The candidate, supported by progressive figure Jamaal Bowman Mamdani since May 28, received nearly one-third of this fundraising haul—approximately $118,000—after Mamdani’s endorsement. Avila Chevalier also accepted $7,500 from Saikat Chakrabarti, the former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a previous unsuccessful congressional candidate.

Despite publicly pledging to avoid corporate real estate money, Avila Chevalier accepted over $8,000 from real estate industry-related donors during the recent reporting period. These contributions included $3,500 from Long Island-based builder Syed M. Razvi and broker Faraz Khan. The total fundraising reported in this period constitutes roughly one-third of the $930,000 raised by Avila Chevalier since the beginning of the campaign cycle in October.

In comparison, Rep. Adriano Espaillat raised more than $740,000 from April to June 3, bringing his total fundraising to just over $2 million for the current election cycle.

Avila Chevalier’s campaign has faced scrutiny not only over its fundraising sources but also due to her recent social media posts, which have sparked controversy. Among these posts, she referred to the United States with profanity and accused President Joe Biden of serious misconduct, language that has raised concerns among some observers.

The campaign and its supporters have defended Avila Chevalier, emphasizing the grassroots nature of her run and her alignment with progressive causes, while critics have pointed to the discrepancies between her fundraising claims and actual contributions as well as her provocative rhetoric. The race remains closely watched as both candidates seek to secure their position in a district with a diverse and politically engaged electorate.