In 2018, the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America played a key role in electing its member Julia Salazar to the New York State Senate. Since then, NYC-DSA has, as part of broader coalitions of progressive forces, elected seven more socialists to the state legislature (alongside one from DSA’s Mid-Hudson Valley chapter), who have championed progressive policies like stronger tenant protections and legislation to build out public power. Now, democratic socialists are hoping to add three more to their ranks in Albany: Claire Valdez from Queens, Jonathan Soto from the Bronx, and Brooklyn’s Eon Tyrell Huntley.

Huntley is a third-generation Brooklynite, who was born and raised in the borough. He is running to represent Assembly District 56 in Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights; his opponent is incumbent Stefani Zinerman, who has been a vocal supporter of charter schools and a critic of the signature eviction protections championed by socialist and other progressive legislators. On Tuesday, a report by New York Focus revealed that Zinerman was receiving money from a new pro-Israel dark-money group, Solidarity PAC, that is boosting the opponents of state-level candidates endorsed by DSA and the Working Families Party.

Huntley sat down with Jacobin contributor Peter Lucas to discuss growing up in East New York, how he became a socialist, and the difference he sees between DSA legislators and the Democratic Party establishment.