Kawas Wins Queens State Senate Seat
Aber Kawas, a first-time candidate backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, won New York State Senate District 12 in the 2026 midterm elections.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Aber Kawas won the New York State Senate District 12 seat in Queens in the 2026 midterm elections. She becomes the first Palestinian-American elected to the New York State Legislature.
Why it matters
Kawas's win reflects her campaign focus on affordable housing, workers' rights, immigrant protection and Palestinian rights, as well as the backing of Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America. Her victory marks a new representative for Queens voters in the state legislature.
Kawas won the seat in the November 3, 2026 midterm elections after defeating Steven Raga in the June Democratic primary. The extraction does not include vote tallies or the margin of victory.
The players
Aber Kawas
Aber Kawas is a first-time candidate and community organizer who won New York State Senate District 12 in Queens.
Zohran Mamdani
Zohran Mamdani is the mayor of New York City, elected in 2025, who backed Kawas's campaign.
Steven Raga
Steven Raga is a New York State Assembly member whom Kawas defeated in the Democratic primary.
Democratic Socialists of America
The Democratic Socialists of America is a socialist organization that backed Kawas's campaign.
The details
Kawas, born and raised in Brooklyn to Palestinian refugee parents, graduated from City College of New York in 2014 and earned a master's degree in Islamic Liberation Theology at the University of Johannesburg. She spent more than 15 years in community organizing and helped develop the Not On Our Dime campaign alongside Mamdani.
Timeline
2014: Kawas graduates from City College of New York.
2024: Kawas returns to New York from South Africa.
2025: Zohran Mamdani is elected New York City mayor.
June 2026: Kawas wins the Democratic primary over Steven Raga.
November 3, 2026: Kawas wins Senate District 12 in the midterm elections.
Season Trajectory
Kawas's win follows Zohran Mamdani's 2025 election as New York City mayor, extending the progressive coalition he built into the state legislature. Her campaign's shared policy platform with Mamdani signals continued alignment between city and state Democratic progressive politics.
Queens residents in Senate District 12 now have a new state senator whose platform centers on affordable housing, workers' rights and immigrant protection. The extraction does not specify when the new term begins or any legislation she will introduce.
The takeaway
Kawas's victory shows how grassroots organizing and city-level progressive alliances can translate into state legislative representation. Voters following Queens politics can watch how her platform on housing and immigrant protection is pursued in Albany.
Further reading
Explore more Queens Elections coverage for context on the district's political landscape.
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