FilAm candidate for NY Senate primaries concedes to Mamdani-backed winner

New York - Assemblymember Steven Raga conceded to Aber Kawas presumptive winner in the Democratic primary for NY Senate District 12 late night of June 23, 2026. Raga, a Filipino American, serves as assemblymember for Western Queen’s District 30.

“Tonight was not the outcome we hoped for. Yet I am filled with gratitude, because together, we built more than a campaign. We built a people-powered movement rooted in the neighborhoods of Western Queens—immigrants, workers, families, and neighbors united by a simple democratic principle: that the future of Western Queens ought to be shaped by the people of Western Queens,” he said in his speech.

Kawas, an organizer and Palestinian by heritage, won in the primaries by 60% while Raga garnered 39% as of 10:15PM June 23. She aims to succeed Sen. Michael Gianaris, who’s retiring, in the November 2026 elections.

New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed Kawas, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, as well as winning candidates Jessica González-Rojas and Joseph P. Addabo Jr., seen as the main reason for their victories.

Western Queens district 12 include Woodside, Sunnyside, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Ridgewood, Maspeth, and part of Astoria. #

Raga’s full statement below.

Statement from Assemblymember Steven Raga

I am Steven Raga, a proud son of Woodside,  and I congratulate Aber Kawas and extend my hand to her in partnership and community.

This election was hard fought, but it was fought on principle, not personalities. That is how progressives should resolve our very real differences: through competing ideas about how we build power and how we fight on behalf of everyday New Yorkers.

But we must never lose sight of the real battle before us: confronting Donald Trump and his authoritarian agenda, protecting our neighborhoods from ICE, and resisting his efforts to squeeze every last dollar from working families so he can further enrich his billionaire allies.

Tonight was not the outcome we hoped for. Yet I am filled with gratitude, because together, we built more than a campaign. We built a people-powered movement rooted in the neighborhoods of Western Queens—immigrants, workers, families, and neighbors united by a simple democratic principle: that the future of Western Queens ought to be shaped by the people of Western Queens.

I want to thank every volunteer, every supporter, every union member, every tenant, every nurse, every delivery worker, and every person who knocked on doors, made calls, and believed in this campaign. Together, 150 volunteers knocked on more than 60,000 doors. We earned more than 45 endorsements, including nearly 30 from labor organizations. And we helped transform our immigrant communities into an organized political force.

Tonight, I think of a seven-year-old boy standing at JFK Airport, watching his immigrant father return home to die because his family could not afford the medical care he needed. I think of his mother, working multiple jobs as a single parent to make ends meet while facing the constant threat of eviction. I was that boy.

And I learned that these tragedies are not inevitable. They are the result of policy choices. I know this because I have lived it. That is why my fight will not end tonight.

I will continue fighting for affordable health care, housing, immigrant justice, and human dignity, because no child in New York should have to endure what that seven-year-old boy endured.

To everyone who stood with us: thank you. This campaign may be ending, but our work is not. I will never stop fighting for the communities that raised me, and I remain hopeful about what we can build together.

The movement we built belongs to the people of Western Queens. And its story is far from over. #