In a historic primary victory, democratic socialist Maurice 'Mo' Brown has defeated 28-year incumbent Bill Magnarelli to become the Democratic nominee for New York State Assembly District 129. The win, confirmed after counting mail-in ballots, was by approximately 100 votes. Brown's campaign was part of the 'Affordability Slate' put forward by the Syracuse chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which also saw Jo Bennett win a primary for Onondaga County Legislator.
Brown's victory is seen as part of a national trend of democratic socialists defeating establishment candidates. The incumbent, Magnarelli, had served since 1999 and often ran unopposed. Brown's campaign faced significant opposition from corporate interests, with DoorDash spending nearly $155,000 on ads against him in the final three weeks. Despite endorsements for Magnarelli from Governor Kathy Hochul and other establishment figures, Brown's grassroots movement prevailed.
'The community has spoken, and the message is clear: Housing, healthcare, and education are human rights and the role of government is to protect those rights,' said Brown. 'Our victory today is a collective one. It is a victory against big money and establishment politics.'
The Affordability Slate, which included Brown, Bennett, and Tammy Honeywell, focused on issues of affordability, protecting people from ICE, and banning data centers. Bennett, a Syracuse public school teacher and union organizer, won her race against an establishment opponent who had spent 24 years in the legislature. Honeywell lost her race but expressed enthusiasm for the movement's growth.
All three candidates received early endorsements from the Syracuse DSA, NY Working Families Party, and Citizen Action of NY. Brown also received an endorsement from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, a democratic socialist, which Brown called a 'full-circle moment' as his political activism began when he was nominated as a national delegate for Sanders' presidential campaign.
Syracuse DSA now turns its focus to the general election in November, where Brown and Bennett will face Republican opponents in heavily Democratic districts. Brown stated, 'I will be so honored to represent our communities in Albany. I am ready to fight together to deliver on these needs and provide for all our people.'
Syracuse DSA, established in 2018, is part of the Democratic Socialists of America, the largest socialist organization in the U.S. with over 100,000 members. The chapter focuses on mutual aid, international solidarity with Palestine, opposing ICE, and electing democratic socialists to office.
