Former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke praised Democratic congressional nominee Darializa Avila Chevalier for comments she made about preserving heritage, raising alarms among political observers who say the episode creates a vulnerability for progressive Democrats heading into November.
Chevalier won the Democratic primary in New York's heavily Democratic 13th Congressional District last month as part of a cohort of socialist candidates endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Her campaign has faced scrutiny over a deleted 2019 social media post that attacked "Black men" and "Arab men" for allegedly "fetishizing ugly colonizer women."
Duke, who served as grand wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan from 1974 to 1980 and later served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1989 to 1992, told the Washington Free Beacon that he agreed with Chevalier's framing on heritage preservation.
"Well, I think that people have the right to preserve their particular heritage," Duke said in a phone interview with the outlet. "And if she's concerned about preserving her heritage if it's Somali, or whatever she is, she's certainly got the right to do that."
What the Left Is Saying
Some Democrats have distanced themselves from Chevalier following Duke's praise. Political strategist James Carville said the candidate shouldn't be in the party, calling her views "a bridge too far."
"Chevalier is our David Duke," one unnamed Democrat told journalist Mark Halperin in June, speaking on condition of anonymity. "She is poisoning the possibility of a Democratic majority."
Former Republican congressman Peter Meijer commented on the situation Monday on social media platform X, drawing a contrast with how Republicans handled Duke's political career.
"The difference is that the modern Democratic Party would never do to Chevalier what the GOP did to David Duke," Meijer wrote. In 1991, Duke ran as a Republican in the Louisiana gubernatorial election and won second place in the nonpartisan jungle primary, but the national GOP refused to endorse him, instead backing Democrat Edwin Edwards.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, however, congratulated Chevalier on her primary victory in a Saturday social media post. Given that New York's 13th Congressional District is heavily Democratic, Chevalier remains positioned to win the seat in November's general election.
The Chevalier campaign did not respond to requests for comment from multiple news outlets seeking clarification on her views and the deleted social media posts.
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans have pointed to Duke's praise as evidence of broader problems within segments of the Democratic Party. The episode comes amid ongoing debates over antisemitism allegations against progressive Democrats, including several members of the party's left flank who have faced criticism for comments about Israel.
Duke has previously voiced support for other Democrats whose positions on Israel drew scrutiny. In 2019, after Rep. Ilhan Omar was accused of implying that Jewish lawmakers held dual loyalties to Israel, Duke wrote on his website that she was "the most important Member of the US Congress" due to her defiance of what he called "Zionist occupied government."
Duke also praised Mamdani in his interview with the Free Beacon.
"I think that the new mayor of New York was a step forward," Duke said, according to the outlet. He noted disagreement with Mamdani on immigration policy but praised his views on Israel, making comments that included antisemitic characterizations about "oligarchs of the Jewish people" controlling foreign policy.
Conservatives argue that Duke's pattern of praising certain Democrats highlights ideological overlaps on issues including criticism of Israel and skepticism toward Western institutions. They say such associations could complicate Democratic efforts to present a unified message heading into midterm elections.
What the Numbers Show
New York's 13th Congressional District has historically voted heavily Democratic in general elections, making Chevalier the strong favorite to win the seat in November regardless of the controversy surrounding her candidacy.
Duke served one term in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1989 to 1992 after years of involvement in extremist politics as national leader of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. He has run for public office multiple times, including unsuccessful bids for Senate and governor in Louisiana.
Chevalier identifies as Afro-Latina and was part of a slate of socialist candidates who swept New York's June Democratic primary elections with Mamdani's endorsement, according to reports from multiple news outlets covering the race.
The controversy follows earlier scrutiny over Chevalier's deleted social media posts that also included praise for communism and Marxism, leading some observers to question whether such statements would affect her general election prospects in a district where Democratic registration provides a significant advantage.
The Bottom Line
Duke's public praise for Chevalier illustrates how political opponents can weaponize associations with controversial figures. For Democrats, the episode creates messaging challenges heading into November, as Republicans may seek to tie down-ballot candidates to Duke's endorsement regardless of their actual policy positions.
Chevalier's path to Congress remains highly probable given district demographics, but the controversy could affect coattail effects and down-ticket races where competitive margins matter. Political analysts say such associations typically carry more weight in swing districts than in heavily partisan ones like NY-13.
What happens next: Voters in New York's 13th Congressional District will decide Chevalier's general election fate in November. Whether Duke's praise becomes a defining narrative or fades as background noise may depend on whether additional information emerges about Chevalier's past statements and how party leaders choose to address the situation.