Interview byRoman Broszkowski
Following its success in the mayoral election, the New York City chapter of Democratic Socialists of America (NYC-DSA) is running an expansive slate of candidates across the city. Two endorsees, Eon Huntley and Christian Celeste Tate, are running neighboring campaigns for New York State Assembly in the north and central Brooklyn neighborhoods where DSA has made significant inroads.
After narrowly losing in 2024, Huntley is running for a second time in Assembly District 56, while Tate is running right next door in District 54. Both districts overlap considerably with those of DSA electeds, including areas represented by state senators Jabari Brisport and Julia Salazar, as well as New York City Council Member Chi Ossé (who is a DSA member but did not receive the group’s endorsement when he ran in 2021).
Huntley’s and Tate’s campaigns represent only the most recent attempts to dislodge the current incumbents — state assembly members Stefani Zinerman and Erik Dilan, respectively. Zinerman is seen as a close ally of US House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, while Dilan is the scion of an influential political family — Dilan’s father, Martin Dilan, was the first state-level incumbent NYC-DSA defeated back in 2018.
Jacobin contributor Roman Broszkowski sat down with Huntley and Tate to discuss how they came to socialism, what they see as the biggest issues for their districts, and how they hope to help Mayor Zohran Mamdani advance his affordability agenda.