Aber Kawas, a socialist candidate backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, won the Democratic primary for New York State Senate District 12 on Tuesday, defeating Assemblyman Steven Raga in a heavily Democratic Queens district. The victory came after resurfaced video of Kawas from 2017 showed her suggesting that America deserved the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.
Kawas is the daughter of Jordanian nationals who entered the United States without legal documentation. She ran on a platform centered on Gaza and Palestinian rights, portraying her father's deportation as persecution by immigration authorities. The district includes western Queens neighborhoods such as Astoria and will likely send Kawas to Albany when the current incumbent steps down in January.
What the Left Is Saying
Kawas defended herself against criticism of the resurfaced comments in a statement to Fox News Digital, arguing that her remarks were taken out of context. "I\u2019ve always been outspoken about the wrongful scapegoating of Muslim Americans, both before and after 9/11, and in this interview I was speaking about the harmful notion that Muslims should have to apologize for an act of violence they have nothing to do with," she said. She characterized attacks on her comments as "desperate, Islamophobic smear" tactics from political opponents. Supporters of Kawas and Mamdani argue that her victory demonstrates constituents\u2019 rejection of what they describe as anti-Muslim rhetoric in politics, noting the margin of her win as evidence that voters prioritized policy positions over selectively edited footage.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican critics and some Democratic opponents have condemned Kawas\u2019s comments as disqualifying. In the 2017 podcast episode titled "Islamophobia beyond 9/11 with Aber Kawas," she said: "The system of capitalism and racism and white supremacy\u2026and Islamophobia, have all been used to colonize lands, to take resources from other people and so this is a long trajectory and we\u2019re just seeing the manifestations of that continuation with 9/11." She also said: "The idea we have to apologize for a terror attack that a couple of people did and then there is no apology or reparations for genocides and for slavery\u2026is something I find reprehensible." Republican commentators have argued that suggesting the United States deserved an attack that killed nearly 3,000 people should disqualify someone from holding public office, regardless of their political affiliation.
What the Numbers Show
New York State Senate District 12 is a heavily Democratic district. Kawas defeated Raga by what her campaign called a "resounding victory" margin in Tuesday\u2019s primary. The district includes western Queens, which has a significant Muslim American population and has been a stronghold for progressive candidates in recent elections. Her father, Abdelkareem Kawas, entered the United States on a tourist visa in 1989 and remained without legal status until his eventual deportation following convictions for real estate fraud and an associated prison sentence. Kawas has reported affiliation with CAIR, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by several states and foreign governments.
The Bottom Line
Kawas is virtually certain to win the November general election in this heavily Democratic district, meaning she will represent State Senate District 12 beginning in January. Her victory adds another socialist voice to the New York state legislature and extends Mamdani\u2019s political influence beyond city government into statewide office. The controversy over her comments highlights ongoing tensions around how politicians discuss September 11 and Muslim American experiences in politics.