Salazar to challenge Dilan in Democratic Primary
In a sign of the ascendancy of the far left in Brooklyn politics, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America is running for a state senate seat in Bushwick.
Bushwick resident Julia Salazar, whose campaign describes her as a tenant organizer and a police reform advocate, will officially announce her candidacy for the state senate in the 18th Senate District on Wednesday Maria Hernandez Park.
She will run in the Democratic primary against Martin Dilan, an eight-term incumbent.
In addition to Bushwick, the 18th Senate District takes in parts of several other neighborhoods in northern Brooklyn, including Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Cypress Hills, City-Line, East New York, Bed-Stuy and Brownsville.
The Democratic primary will take place in September.
Salazar would not be the first member of the Democratic Socialists of America to run for elective office in New York City.
Last year, the Rev. Khader El-Yateem, a Palestinian church pastor, ran for a City Council seat in Bay Ridge with socialist support. He came in second in the Democratic primary to Justin Brannan. Brannan went on the win the general election.
Salazar is a staff organizer for the organization Jews for Racial and Economic Justice.
“The politicians in Albany are putting billionaires’ interests over our community’s needs,” Salazar said in a statement. “Families lack the resources they need to take care of their relatives. Our neighbors are being torn from their homes by developers and ICE agents. We can’t afford to wait any longer. Together, we are going to bring a democratic socialist vision for a more caring society to the state Capitol.”
Dilan, has served as a state senator since 2002. Prior to that, he served on the City Council for 10 years. He started his political career by running for a seat on his local school board, Community School Board 32, in the late 1970s.
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