Samy Nemir-Olivares, a local district leader running for the District 54 seat in the New York State Assembly, has been endorsed by the New York City Democratic Socialists of America (NYC-DSA). This news comes just over a week after Nemir-Olivares announced his candidacy.

“I am so honored to be endorsed by @nycDSA!,” Nemir-Olivares wrote in a recent Instagram post. “From [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] & [Julia Salazar], I’ve been very inspired about a new kind of politics possible. As a proud Democratic socialist candidate & @nbkDSA member, I am excited to build with the working-class people of our district.”

“This means fighting for housing & healthcare as basic human needs,” he wrote. “This means fully funding our schools & investing in education. This means protecting our environment & take action on climate. Above all else this means investing in our communities not corporations.”

This upcoming June, Nemir-Olivares will challenge incumbent Democrat Erik Dilan to represent Assembly District 54, which covers much of Bushwick and Cypress Hills, as well as parts of East New York, Ocean Hill and Brownsville. Dilan was first elected in 2014 and formerly represented the 37th district of the New York City Council from 2002 to 2014.

This isn’t the first time Assemblymember Dilan has faced a challenge from the left. In 2019, Boris Santos, a socialist former chief of staff to State Sen. Julia Salazar, announced a run against Dilan, but Santos decided to back out before the election. 

If elected, Nemir-Olivares, who is seeking to become the first LGBTQ Assembly member of color in the history of the state, would join a long list of progressive legislators in North Brooklyn, including nearby District 50 representative Emily Gallagher, who is also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Sen. Salazar, who unseated Erik Dilan’s father, Martin Dilan, in 2018, and others.

Nemir-Olivares is pushing for rent-control legislation, universal healthcare, full funding for public college and universal after-school programs, more rights and resources for immigrants, regardless of immigration status, and stricter climate legislation. 

You can learn more about Nemir-Olivares’ platform here and on his campaign website.

Featured image: Megan Magray 

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