I'm a community organizer, democratic socialist, & daughter of Palestinian refugees running for Senate in SD-12
Vote June 23rd
I'm a community organizer, democratic socialist, & daughter of Palestinian refugees running for Senate in SD-12
Vote June 23rd
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I'm a community organizer and democratic socialist running to represent parts of Astoria, Sunnyside, Woodside, Ridgewood, Maspeth, Long Island City, Elmhurst, Glendale, and Jackson Heights.
I'm the daughter of Palestinian refugees, born and raised in a working class family in New York City. When I was young, my father was detained by ICE and deported from the U.S. by the same cruel immigration system that is harming the people of Queens today. While he was in detention, my family struggled to make ends meet. These experiences shaped how I see the world, and made me the organizer I am today — determined to build power for poor and working people, so that everyone can live a life with equal dignity.
For more than 15 years, I have been at the front lines of the fight for working class New Yorkers — from the Fight for 15 to raise the minimum wage, to countering police surveillance and harassment, and organizing for immigration reform. I helped to develop and launch the Not On Our Dime Campaign alongside mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to stop NY-based organizations from exploiting their non-profit status to fund Israel's human rights violations against Palestinians.
Coming from a community that has long been disillusioned by politics, I'm running for office to challenge the status quo. Right now, the federal government is hollowing out funding for our social safety net, ramping up their attacks on immigrants, and continuing to fund Israel's genocide in Gaza with our tax dollars — all while New Yorkers struggle to make ends meet during a historic affordability crisis.
I'm a community organizer and democratic socialist running to represent parts of Astoria, Sunnyside, Woodside, Ridgewood, Maspeth, Long Island City, Elmhurst, Glendale, and Jackson Heights.
For more than 15 years, I have been at the front lines of the fight for working class New Yorkers — from the Fight for 15 to raise the minimum wage, to countering police surveillance and harassment, and organizing for immigration reform. I helped to develop and launch the Not On Our Dime Campaign alongside mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to stop NY-based organizations from exploiting their non-profit status to fund Israel's human rights violations against Palestinians.
I'm the daughter of Palestinian refugees, born and raised in a working class family in New York City. When I was young, my father was detained by ICE and deported from the U.S. by the same cruel immigration system that is harming the people of Queens today. While he was in detention, my family struggled to make ends meet. These experiences shaped how I see the world, and made me the organizer I am today — determined to build power for poor and working people, so that everyone can live a life with equal dignity.
Coming from a community that has long been disillusioned by politics, I'm running for office to challenge the status quo. Right now, the federal government is hollowing out funding for our social safety net, ramping up their attacks on immigrants, and continuing to fund Israel's genocide in Gaza with our tax dollars — all while New Yorkers struggle to make ends meet during a historic affordability crisis.
As State Senator, I will continue to organize and build power in Queens and Albany - so that together, we can fight for a just, equitable future for all of us.
Our campaign is powered by working people, not corporations or billionaires. Every dollar helps us reach more voters and build power in Queens. Donations from in-district residents can be multiplied up to 12x with New York State matching funds.
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Senate District 12
District 12 spans vibrant, diverse neighborhoods in Queens including parts of Astoria, Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City, Ridgewood, Maspeth, Elmhurst, Glendale, and Jackson Heights. Our communities are home to working families, immigrants from around the world, and people fighting every day for a better future.
Look up where to vote and see the full DSA-endorsed slate on your ballot.
Find My Poll SiteThese are our neighborhoods - and together, we'll fight for them.
May 2026
"Only renewable energy can save our wallets, our families, and our world. And as corporations compete to raise prices, cancel renewables, and work with Gov. Kathy Hochul and Donald Trump to shred climate standards entirely, we know only public renewables will do the job."
March 2026
"As an organizer, I always saw myself being on the outside. I had to be the person bringing people to speak to the people in office. But actually there’s a possibility that as an elected official, I can continue to have a relationship with the organizers on the ground, that we benefit more when this is not an isolated process. I witnessed it as a possibility, and want to build on it to be a model we should continue."
February 2025
"“This time last year, I never would have believed you if you told me I would be running for any office, let alone the state Senate,” Kawas said in a statement announcing the campaign. “I did not make this decision lightly, but it comes from the conviction that we have a duty to our neighbors and communities who have been left out of the process in Albany for too long."
December 2025
"There's a lot of fearmongering to discourage people like me, who come from a working-class, immigrant background, who advocate for police accountability and fair pay for workers, from running. But campaigns like mine are not an aberration. It is part of a wave of people who want to bring the fight for human dignity to public office, and that's challenging the status quo and the political establishment that wants to hold on to power."
