Meet Aber Kawas – University of Johannesburg alumnus endorsed by Zohran Mamdani for New York Assembly
The connection between Aber Kawas and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani goes beyond South Africa…
New York’s political landscape is feeling a distinct South African breeze, with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani throwing his weight behind State Assembly candidate Aber Kawas.
Kawas, a Palestinian-American organiser, reportedly returned to the United States in 2024 after earning a Master’s degree in Islamic Liberation Theology from the University of Johannesburg. Her time in Johannesburg appears to have sharpened the political resolve she is now taking to the doorsteps of Queens, New York City.
The endorsement from Mamdani – the Cape Town-schooled leader who was recently inaugurated as New York City mayor – marked one of his biggest, early moves to influence local legislative races since his election.
The connection between the two politicians goes beyond their shared socialist values; both represent a new wave of leadership with deep roots in the Global South.
Kawas and Mamdani: A shared vision for the working class
Running for Assembly District 34, Kawas has adopted an “affordability agenda” that mirrors the platform that propelled Mamdani to the mayoralty. Her campaign focuses on protecting immigrant communities, securing fast and free transit, and advocating for a four-year rent freeze – a policy that earned Mamdani the nickname “Mayor Freeze-the-Rent” during his own rise.
As a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Kawas seeks to join the “Socialists in Office” project, a cohort of elected officials who coordinate on policy to ensure they remain accountable to working-class interests rather than corporate donors.
South African influence
For Kawas, the choice to study in South Africa follows the trajectory of Mamdani himself, who attended St George’s Grammar School in Cape Town while his father, the renowned scholar Mahmood Mamdani, taught at the University of Cape Town.
This shared South African heritage has created what observers call a “seismic shift” in political imagination, linking the struggles of metropolitan New York with those of the African continent.
Mamdani’s victory was even hailed by South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters, who viewed his rise as a triumph for progressive global relations and a stand against “neo-colonial arrogance”.
Organising from experience
Kawas’s political ambitions are rooted in a personal history of marginalisation. Growing up in Brooklyn as the child of undocumented Palestinian refugees, she was politicised after her father was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and eventually deported.
This experience has made her a fierce advocate for the New York for All Act, which aims to protect neighbours from being “abducted and disappeared” by immigration authorities.
She has also drawn fire from conservative critics for her outspoken views on civil rights and her identification as an anti-Zionist. Kawas was a key developer of the “Not on Our Dime” legislation – initially introduced by Mamdani – which seeks to revoke the tax-exempt status of New York organisations funding illegal settlements in Palestine.
Kawas and Romero’s race for District 34
Despite Mamdani’s high-profile backing, Kawas faces a competitive primary against Brian Romero, the chief of staff to the outgoing Assembly member. While Romero is also a DSA member, the organisation’s Electoral Working Group voted 69% in favour of Kawas following Mamdani’s intervention.
As the first Palestinian-American potentially headed to the state legislature, UJ-schooled Kawas says she is focused on the “bread-and-butter” issues of her district, arguing that the same political establishment funding foreign conflicts is the one failing to provide universal childcare and affordable groceries for New Yorkers.