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Espaillat spars with rival Chevalier over Big Papi endorsement
Rep. Adriano Espaillat is sparring with rival Dairaliza Avila Chevalier over his endorsement by former Red Sox superstar David “Big Papi” Ortiz in their contentious Democratic primary in the NY-13 congressional district.
The veteran upper Manhattan lawmaker tweeted a short video in which Ortiz, the Dominican-born baseball Hall of Famer, calls Espaillat “mi hermano,” Spanish for my brother, and calls on fellow Dominican immigrants to support him in the June 23 primary.
“Let’s go and vote for my brother Adriano Espaillat,” Ortiz says in Spanish.
Espaillat hailed the affable Dominican legend, noting: “the work continues to advance our communities.”
Chevalier hit back at Espaillat for accepting the public backing of a player who made his name for the hated rivals of the hometown favorite New York Yankees.
“Nothing says I love NYC quite like getting the endorsement of a Red Sox player,” she tweeted. “Go Yanks! Vote Darializa!”
Espaillat counterpunched by noting that many Dominican New Yorkers consider Ortiz to be a Dominican hero, not “a Red Sox player.”
The political hardball erupted as Espaillat faces the toughest primary challenge of his five-term career in Congress from Chevalier, a progressive member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Polls show a close race in the deep-blue district covering upper Manhattan and a slice of the Bronx. Early voting continues through the weekend and primary day is Tuesday.