Steven Raga is ready to rumble

Western Queens is gearing up for a democratic socialist vs. democratic socialist fight – just not the one we were originally promised. 

Assembly Member Steven Raga officially announced his entrance into the race for state Senate District 12, currently represented by the retiring Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris. That pits the two-term Assembly member against Aber Kawas, a Palestinian American activist who already has the support of the Democratic Socialists of America’s New York City chapter. In western Queens, which birthed Mayor Zohran Mamdani and is home to “The People’s Republic of Astoria,” DSA backing can make or break a candidate. 

Except like Kawas’ original Assembly opponent, Brian Romero, Raga is also a dues-paying member of the DSA. And just like Romero did in Assembly District 34, Raga is running an unabashedly progressive campaign based on deep-rooted community ties. Kawas, meanwhile, has faced criticism for having moved to the area only recently and even needed to fend off rumors that she had moved to the wrong district after being recruited by DSA. 

Needless to say, with the ascendancy of the DSA with Mamdani’s victory, running against the organization on what has become its home turf surely will be no easy task – especially if other progressive groups also coalesce around Kawas. But Raga said he’s up for the challenge. He spoke with City & State about his decision to enter the race, his ties to the neighborhood and his progressive bona fides. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What put you over the edge and made the final decision to jump into the race for state Senate?

It's not a decision I took lightly. I had to weigh out and consider the great work we're doing in the Assembly currently. I think this really was an opportunity to expand and build upon that work. A lot of this was the community members who really pushed me to do it. I've got a lot of calls of local community support throughout the neighborhoods in western Queens – of course, within Assembly District 30, but also throughout the other neighborhoods in the Senate district. It wasn't just, “Would I run for Senate? Would I do it?” That was an easier question. The question was, “Is it worth leaving my Assembly seat?” And from all the folks that I spoke with and have deep relationships with for decades, that's what really helped me make my decision.

What is your strategy for your race considering your opponent has a fair amount of left-wing support, including the endorsement of the DSA? Are you anticipating a tough fight?

Yes, for sure. (Gianaris) set a high standard in the Senate district, and for western Queens. There was principled leadership not just in Albany, but being present in the district, rooted in relationships in the district. That's something I would love to build on, that legacy and delivering with progressive values. But to your question here, it's definitely going to be a fight for this race. It's going to be hard-fought. And with the work that we've been working on, not just for the last four years in office – or three and a half years right now – but for the last 20-plus years of organizing and working within the district and within western Queens, I think that the relationships are there. I think their encouragement is there, and we just got to talk to our neighbors, knock on the doors, create those coalitions and continue to fight for our values here in western Queens.

What would you say differentiates you from Kawas in terms of whether it’s policy or community work? What makes you the best person to represent this seat?

I respect Aber for work that she's done for New Yorkers and her advocacy, but this race, I think, shouldn't be about any individual personalities. It should be about effectiveness, accountability and, like I said, I spent decades organizing and service servicing this district. My job right before legislator was executive director of Woodside on the Move. As a board member of Community Board 2 for several years, and also a member of the Western Queens Community Land Trust, I've worked directly on the issues shaping western Queens before I was elected in the Assembly. I've shown that we can also move policy, whether our office directly initiates that, or we partner with other electeds to secure funding and build on progressive coalitions in Albany to make it work. So at this moment, I think Senate District 12 needs leadership that combines deep community roots, but also an ability to deliver legislative results. And I offer both.

Do you expect Mayor Mamdani, your former colleagues in the Assembly, to get involved in this race? He reportedly has privately backed Kawas.

I guess in this field, we can expect anything in this business. I was a pre-primary endorser of Zohran on top of working with him for three years in the state Assembly, where we pushed and worked together. Not just particular legislative policies, but also for budget priorities, particularly when he was a co-chair of the (Asian American and Pacific Islander Legislative Conference) and secured $30 million for the Asian American nonprofits. We've always been working together in several progressive coalitions, legislatively, but in this race, that would be the mayor's decision on whether to get involved or not. If he gets involved, I hope he would support me before the primary the same way I supported him. But either way, I'll respect his decision.

There have been races with DSA-backed candidates, including in western Queens, where they have campaigned against another progressive candidate with charges that person wasn’t progressive enough for not being DSA. Do you have any plans on how you might combat that narrative if it emerges?

I don’t know. I'll tell you, I have never been called not progressive, so that would be a new one for me. So let’s see how I react to that, if it ever comes out. I mean, either way, I've been a dues-paying member of the DSA for a while now. I'm also proud to be part of the Working Families Party movement. So me not being progressive? Never heard of it.

DSA has already endorsed Kawas from her Assembly campaign, but if that process reopened, would you seek the organization’s backing? Or from WFP, which expressed support for her to shift over to the Senate race?

I think they already made the endorsement, but I'm open to do anything and work with anyone. To meet members, talk to folks and get anyone’s support on this. I do know there's usually a rolling process, though, with WFP. I'll be there on day one to join the process. I've done it for the last two cycles now with the New York Working Families Party, and I've been endorsed twice. So I'm two for two. Talking to the RAC members, the organizations, the unions, especially NSYNA, where me or my team have been out plenty of times over the strike. Also I'm a member of two of their unions – I'm a CUNY professor, so I'm with PSC-CUNY, and also NYSUT. 

Anything else about your race or decision to jump in?

At the end of the day, our communities deserve leadership that's grounded here in relationships, both authentic, effective and that lived experience. My family's been here for decades. I have been working here, whether it's in grassroots organizations, coalitions or for work or the community board, again, for decades as well. So I am prepared to fight every day on day one for the neighborhoods of Senate District 12. And I'm looking forward to making my case to our neighbors this cycle.