The leading candidates in the Democratic primary for New York’s 13th Congressional District both shared June 13 that they are rooting for non-U.S. teams in the FIFA World Cup.
Dan Mannarino, the host of PIX on Politics, closed his segment by asking his guests — incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat and his opponent, Darializa Avila Chevalier — “what do you think will win it all?”
“Who are you rooting for?” Mannarino clarified.
“I like Mexico,” Espaillat, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said with a smile.
“I’m rooting for Senegal,” said Chevalier, a “proud member of the NYC Democratic Socialists of America,” according to her campaign page.
The U.S.-hosted World Cup began June 11, with international soccer teams and fans coming to the U.S. or tuning in to watch the best teams compete every four years. (RELATED: ROOKE: World Cup Visitors Make Best Case For Closed Borders)
Neither Espaillat nor Chevalier was given time to explain their answers. Neither of the countries they said they are rooting for has ever won any of the 23 men’s World Cups, and are considered longshots for a total victory, according to online sports betting companies like FanDuel Sportsbook.
And Mannarino’s questioning included not merely who they thought would win, but who they were rooting for. Both Dominican-Americans have no apparent ties to the countries they are rooting for.
Espaillat and Chevalier are fighting over a district consisting of a 50% Hispanic population, more than double the rate of the rest of New York, according to Census Reporter.
Espaillat appears to know where his bread is buttered and seeks to keep this massive voting block by promoting protections for illegal immigrants while granting them a pathway to citizenship, calling for the termination of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and running a Spanish version of his campaign page.
Chevalier aims to run against the more moderate presenting incumbent, gaining endorsements from the likes of fellow Democratic Socialist and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
After declaring independence from France in 1960, Senegal declared itself to be “African Socialist,” and had not achieved its first peaceful transition of power until 2000.
Chevalier’s site introduces herself as an “Afro-latina” striving for equity in New York City. According to her agenda, she would sign a bill on her first day in office to “secure housing as a human right” and to enshrine universal healthcare.
She has also deleted social media posts where she said that the U.S. was “a fucking disgrace” and shared a picture of her using the American flag like a napkin. (RELATED: Democratic Primary Race Features Perfect Example Of Anti-American Left)
Neither Espaillat’s nor Chevalier’s campaign team has returned the Daily Caller’s request for comment.