Democratic Socialist Julia Salazar won the New York Democratic primary for State Senate last night.
She defeated longtime politician Martin Dilan who was running for his ninth term for the 18th District. The race was a long, and sometimes even dramatic one.
Her win signals another victory for the Democratic Socialists of America. The group endorsed her and other high profile candidates in the city like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. A press release from the DSA outlined that Salazar is the “first open socialist in the New York State legislature in nearly a century.”
“This primary was about the movement of socialists, tenants, immigrants, and working New Yorkers who are ready for a change in Albany,” said Bianca Cunningham, NYC-DSA co-chair via the press release. “We are excited to hit the ground running with new leadership in Albany to make the priorities of working people a reality.”
Local officials, including Antonio Reynoso tweeted their support yesterday.
Rafael Espinal also took to Twitter.
Salazar’s victory post reminded supporters that her win was about the grassroots movement that helped her platform.
Stay tuned for more primary updates and midterm election coverage to come.