SHAH ALAM – Aber Kawas has made history as the first hijab-wearing Palestinian American elected to the New York State Legislature after securing a landslide victory in the New York State Senate District 12 race.
Kawas captured 75 per cent of the vote, with 90 per cent of ballots counted when The New York Times called the race.
Following her victory, Kawas took to X with a short but powerful message: “We made history”.
Her win marks a significant milestone for Palestinian American representation in US politics, placing her among a small number of Palestinian Americans ever elected to state-level office across the country.
Running on the slogan “Fund Dignity, Fight Destruction”, Kawas campaigned on an agenda centred on healthcare for all, reliable public transportation and affordable housing, while advocating climate action, immigrant protection and an end to US funding for war.
A member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Kawas was among a growing slate of progressive candidates backed by the movement, which has gained political momentum following Zohran Mamdani's historic victory in New York City's mayoral race last year.
Her campaign received endorsements from several prominent progressive figures, including Mamdani, Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib.
Her victory also reflects the growing influence of pro-Palestinian voices within the American political landscape.
According to Middle East Eye (MEE), Kawas spent more than 15 years organising grassroots campaigns advocating workers' rights, immigrant communities and Palestinian rights before entering electoral politics.
In an interview with MEE last month, she revealed that she joined a coalition of activists in 2023 seeking to use local government channels to challenge funding that supports Israel and its military occupation of Palestine.
Born and raised in Brooklyn to Palestinian parents who immigrated to the United States in the 1990s, Kawas said her early experiences as the child of immigrants shaped her political outlook.
Although her parents were undocumented when they arrived, she initially felt accepted within her community.
However, that sense of belonging changed after the Sept 11, 2001 attacks, when anti-Muslim sentiment and suspicion towards immigrant communities intensified.
Kawas recalled how fear of surveillance, deportation and unfounded terrorism allegations became widespread among Muslims in New York, with even her elementary school classmates beginning to distance themselves from her.
Her personal experiences have since informed her strong stance on immigration rights.
She has pledged to end New York's cooperation with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by pushing for the passage of the New York For All Act, which would prohibit state and local agencies from assisting federal civil immigration enforcement.
Speaking to MEE, Kawas stressed that immigration enforcement affects far more than the individuals detained or deported, often leaving entire families struggling with the consequences.
“I think it's really important to talk about the idea that it destroys entire lives and families. It's not just the one person, oftentimes you will see a story, and the story is two people got picked up by ICE, or one person gets picked up by ICE off the street, and that one person has an entire family around them,” she said.
For Kawas, the issue is deeply personal.
Her father was deported to Jordan when she was in high school, giving her firsthand experience of the impact immigration enforcement can have on families.
Her election now brings those experiences, alongside her advocacy for Palestinian rights, immigrant protection and social justice, into the halls of New York's state legislature.