A Socialist Is Taking on the Dem Establishment in Syracuse
Socialist Maurice Brown has served as a county legislator in the Syracuse area since 2024. Now he is running to replace one of the New York State Assembly’s longest-serving members, who Brown describes as an obstacle to progressive change.
In Syracuse, New York, a Bernie Sanders–endorsed socialist, Maurice Brown, is running for state assembly on a platform of taxing the rich to fund childcare and affordable housing for all. (Elect Maurice Brown)
New York City is increasingly known as a stronghold of democratic socialism, thanks in no small part to high-profile elected officials like Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as a sizable bloc of state legislators. But socialists are making inroads in other parts of the Empire State as well.
Maurice Brown is one of three Democratic Socialists of America–affiliated candidates running for New York State Assembly outside of New York City. Currently a member of the Onondaga County Legislature, Brown — who has also been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders — is running against Democrat Bill Magnarelli, a twenty-seven-year incumbent in Central New York who hasn’t faced a primary challenge in over a decade.
Jacobin recently sat down with Brown to discuss his working-class upbringing, his experience as a county legislator, and why he thinks a democratic socialist can unseat one of the longest-serving members of the New York State Assembly.
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