Combat Jack's Son Chi Ossé Wins New York City Council Primary Race

Chi Ossé ran a campaign that talked about ending qualified immunity for cops and redirect NYPD funds to social programs.

Chi Ossé, son of the lateReggie "Combat Jack" Ossé, is on his way to becoming the next council member in Brooklyn's 35th City Council District. On July 2nd, Ossé announced that he had defeated Henry Butler in the democratic primary race. On Monday, July 12th, the Board of Elections officially certified the results.

Ossé made the announcement on his instagram page. In the post, Ossé reflected on his campaign, he wrote:

"While we celebrate our campaign’s success, our win is just one part of a city-wide movement for social and economic justice. This movement did not start with this election and will only grow until justice, equity, and dignity are both law and practice across our shared society.

We didn’t just make history; we made progress. Progress toward a city that places people over profit. Progress toward a Brooklyn that’s affordable and livable for all. Progress toward a District 36 whose streets are clean, whose neighbors are safe, and whose voice in government is heard. We voted to reimagine old systems, reinvest in new ones, and renew the relationship between government and citizens."

The general election is in November. And because New York City is so blue, it's pretty likely that Ossé, who is 23 and openly gay, will become District 36's next council member, an area that covers Bed-Stuy and parts of Crown Heights in Brooklyn.

A lifelong Crown Heights resident and contributing organizer in the revitalization of Black Lives Matter, Ossé's platform focuses on many of the goals vocalized in the protests that have flooded streets across the country since the police killing of George Floyd. Front-and-center on the campaign's mission is the defunding of the city's police force, hoping to reroute their cut of the city's budget to social programs that benefit communities of color. He also vows to end qualified immunity protections for officers, freeing victims of police violence to file civil suits and hold cops accountable. Because of his progressive politics, he has been endorsed by the Working Families Party and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

In an interview with Okayplayer, he talked about his plans if he becomes a council member. He said:

"We need to take a look at the various agencies within our city that create thriving communities. It's education, it's housing, it's jobs, and we need to make sure that when we're looking at where our taxpayer dollars are going, I want to make sure it's going to things that are actually helping people. In terms of looking at a different solution for crime, I think we need to explore some of the gun violence intervention organizations that have done work within our communities."

ReadChi Ossé's campaign page and sign up for his newsletter for updates in the weeks and months ahead.

This story was updated on July, 12th 2021.