Aber Kawas becomes first Palestinian American elected to New York State Legislature

According to Al Arabiya English, Kawas secured around 75 per cent of the votes on Wednesday (local time), with 90 per cent of ballots counted when the result was called.

Reacting to her victory, Kawas took to social media platform X and said, "We made history."

https://x.com/AberKawas/status/2117807691100024974

Kawas, a Palestinian American community organiser and democratic socialist, had earlier secured the Democratic nomination for the Queens-based seat in the June 2026 primary elections. Al Jazeera, in its June report on the primary results, had said Kawas was on course to become New York's first Palestinian state senator.

Her primary victory came amid gains by progressive candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Al Jazeera reported that Kawas was among several candidates critical of Israel's policies who had won Democratic nominations in New York, reflecting the growing electoral influence of pro-Palestinian advocacy.

Kawas has been involved in organising Arab and Muslim communities in New York. Fox News, in its June report, identified her as a Palestinian American community activist and said she had made Gaza a central issue of her campaign.

She had also spoken about immigrant rights and the experiences of Muslim Americans following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

However, her campaign also faced criticism over remarks she made during a podcast in 2017 while discussing Islamophobia and the September 11 attacks.

Responding to the criticism in comments to Fox News Digital, Kawas maintained that her remarks had been taken out of context. She said she was speaking against the expectation that Muslim Americans should apologise for an act of violence with which they had no connection.

"Ive 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 apologise for an act of violence they have nothing to do with," she told Fox News.

Kawas's victory marks a milestone for Palestinian American representation in New York state politics.

Her victory came as US Representative Ro Khanna on Wednesday (local time) celebrated the Democratic Party's electoral gains in the November 3 midterm elections, saying "DEI is back!" as Democrats registered victories in key races across the country, including in traditionally Republican-leaning states.

Khanna, who represents California's 17th Congressional District and is in the Democratic Party, took to X to welcome the election results, highlighting the historic representation of Black, Latino, Muslim and LGBTQ+ candidates in the elections.

DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. It is an organisational framework and set of policies aimed at ensuring fair treatment, safety and full participation for all individuals, with particular focus on groups that have historically faced marginalisation or discrimination based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age and other identity factors. The concept traces back to the US Civil Rights Movement and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited employment discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex or national origin.

In a post on X, Khanna said, "DEI is back! Tonight, DEI is back as America celebrated diversity and inclusion. Likely three black governors, the first Latina governor in Texas, the first Muslim American senator, the first gay senator. I love this America."

The three newly elected Black governors Khanna was referring to were Republican Byron Donalds in Florida, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia and Democrat David Crowley in Wisconsin. Donalds became Florida's first Black governor, Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor in the United States, while Crowley secured Wisconsin's governorship.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who was already the third elected Black governor in US history, also won re-election, bringing the number of Black governors elected or re-elected in the November 3 elections to four.

Khanna also referred to Democrat Gina Hinojosa, who defeated incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott to become Texas' first Latina governor, ending more than three decades of Republican control of the governor's office.

In the Senate, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan, becoming the first Muslim American elected to the US Senate. Democrat Chris Pappas, who defeated former Republican Senator John Sununu in New Hampshire, became the first openly gay man elected to the US Senate.

The election results marked a significant shift in the balance of power in Washington, with Democrats securing control of both chambers of Congress, ending the Republican Party's hold over the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The results are expected to give Democrats greater authority to scrutinise US President Donald Trump's administration, influence legislation and exercise oversight over federal policies. (ANI)