Pro-Palestinian legislation earns support from upstate Dems running in GOP-held seats

With opposition to Israel becoming increasingly mainstream among progressives, a fair number of Democrats running in state legislative primaries have expressed support for the controversial “Not On Our Dime” Act. And it’s not just the usual suspects of those endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America.

According to data collected by Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, a total of nine state Senate candidates and 26 Assembly candidates have signaled support for the legislation meant to prevent charities in New York from monetarily supporting Israeli settlements in the West Bank considered illegal by the United Nations. 

The overall numbers of course include the DSA’s wide slate of endorsed candidates and those already in the Legislature who have co-sponsored the measure. It also includes candidates associated with democratic socialism, leftist organizing, those running in staunchly progressive New York City districts and leftwing challengers to Democratic incumbents. But they are not alone.

On the state Senate side, several candidates around the state competing to take on Republican incumbents in red or swing districts have offered their backing. That includes Evan Menist, one of three Democrats running in state Senate District 39 in the Hudson Valley in hopes of unseating state Sen. Rob Rolison. Both Patrick Nelson and Sarah Rogerson in the Capital Region’s state Senate District 44, the two candidates vying to take on state Sen. James Tedisco, have endorsed the legislation. And Scott Comegys in the Finger Lakes is one of two Democrats running in state Senate District 54 to unseat state Sen. Pam Helming.

On the Assembly side, the list includes two out of three Democrats – Mary Finneran and Janet Tweed – hoping to replace Republican Assembly Member Chris Tague in the Mohawk Valley’s Assembly District 102. (Finneran has described herself as a democratic socialist.) Carl Fitzsimmons, one of two Democrats competing to to fill retiring Assembly Member Brian Manktelow’s Assembly District 130 seat in the Finger Lakes, has offered support for the “Not on Our Dime” Act as well.

While some of the increased support can be attributed to the surging influence of the DSA as it endorses more candidates than ever before and helps empower more leftwing candidates to run, it is still a far cry from when the “Not on Our Dime” Act was first introduced in 2023 by then-Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani. At the time, not even every socialist in office had signed on as co-sponsors. It was – and remains – controversial, garnering strong condemnation from many sitting lawmakers who argued it singled out Jewish-led charities. Legislative leaders have previously committed that it would never come to a vote.