Socialist Kristen Gonzalez: We Defeated the Democratic Machine
In this summer’s New York state primaries, DSA’s Kristen Gonzalez defeated the Queens Democratic machine candidate in a 25-point blowout. She spoke with Jacobin about how she did it and what comes next as she joins the growing bloc of socialists in Albany.
Kristen Gonzalez is running for New York State Senate in District 59. (Kristen Gonzalez for New York / Facebook)
In an election year that has been a mixed bag for democratic socialists in the city and the state, Kristen Gonzalez defeated Queens Democratic Party–backed Elizabeth Crowley by more than twenty-five percentage points in the race for New York State Senate District 59. Gonzalez’s win, despite being outspent four to one by her opponent, with real estate special interests pouring additional millions into negative ad campaigns, testifies to Democratic Socialist of America (DSA)’s formidable presence in the Queens neighborhood of Astoria as well as in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Greenpoint and Williamsburg.
Gonzalez’s victory also attests to the importance of rent control and climate infrastructure development as she joins State Senators Julia Salazar and Jabari Brisport in their efforts to pass pending legislations such as Good Cause Eviction and Build Public Renewables in Albany. With yet another socialist poised to take office and work together as a bloc of legislators held accountable to the DSA-led coalition, writer Karthik Purushothaman talked to Gonzalez about her legislative priorities and how she hopes to achieve them.
Karthik Puru
As a socialist running for office, you not only won, but you won by twenty-five points. Looking back at your campaign, can you retrace the steps of how you got here, starting from its launch?
Kristen Gonzalez
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