A state Assembly campaign in Queens is attracting controversy after public statements from a candidate supported by Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani raised questions about her views on American national holidays and broader U.S. traditions.
Aber Kawas, a longtime activist and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, is running for the Assembly seat representing New York’s 34th District. She has drawn support from Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America’s Electoral Working Group in a contest to succeed Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, who is not seeking reelection.
Writings attributed to Kawas from 2015, first widely circulated this month, say she does not celebrate major federal holidays such as July 4th, Labor Day, or Veterans Day because she believes they “represent the silencing & destruction of our movements.”
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