NY Democratic Socialist Defeats 16-Year Incumbent Running For 13th Term

Julia Salazar, a Democratic Socialist candidate, defied critics to defeat 16-year incumbent New York State Senator Marty Dilan. Dilan, who is 67 years old, was running for the 13th term in office.Show more

“This was a brutal race, they knew we were a threat to the concentration of wealth and power in this state,” Salazar said in her victory speech. “This is a victory for the oppressed!”

The victory is inspiring comparisons to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who shocked the political world by defeating a party boss for the nomination for New York’s 14th district.

Unlike Cortez, however, Salazar faced challenges from those who said that she was fraudulently running as a socialist because of her previous support for the pro-life movement. Salazar now says that she regrets those views, and blames her actions on being “exposed almost exclusively to reactionary right wing media and political discourse.”