Aber Kawas Becomes First Palestinian in New York Senate
Aber Kawas has won the New York State Senate District 12 seat. She is the first Palestinian American elected to the New York State Legislature.
She is also the first hijab-wearing woman elected to the legislature. Kawas won 75 per cent of the vote, with 90 per cent of ballots counted when The New York Times called the race on Tuesday, November 3.
Kawas posted on X after her win: “We made history.”
Campaign and Endorsements
Her win came in the 2026 US midterm elections. She had already won the Democratic primary in June.
Her campaign slogan was “Fund dignity, fight destruction.” She ran on affordable housing, universal healthcare, reliable public transport, immigrant rights, climate action and opposition to war funding.
Kawas is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib all endorsed her.
Right-wing media outlets criticised her over her Palestinian identity and political positions. She and her supporters rejected this as an effort to undermine her candidacy.
Early Life and Education
Kawas was born and raised in Brooklyn. Her parents are Palestinian and moved to the United States in the 1990s.
She saw the impact of immigration enforcement as a child. Her father was detained by US immigration authorities and deported, which she has described as one of the deepest wounds of her life.
She graduated from the City College of New York in 2014 with a degree in International Studies, focusing on Latin American Studies.
Years of Community Work
Kawas spent more than 15 years in community organising before entering electoral politics. Her work covered workers’ rights, immigrant communities and Palestinian rights, especially among Arab and Muslim communities in New York.
She has been associated with the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Urban Justice Center.
