{"id":276658,"date":"2026-06-24T14:54:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T14:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/276658\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T14:54:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T14:54:08","slug":"kawas-gonzalez-rojas-addabbo-among-winners-in-queens-state-senate-primary-races-qns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/276658\/","title":{"rendered":"Kawas, Gonz\u00e1lez-Rojas, Addabbo among winners in Queens state Senate primary races \u2013 QNS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Democratic voters in Queens elected Aber Kawas, Jessica Gonz\u00e1lez-Rojas and Joseph P. Addabo Jr. as their candidates in the primary elections<\/a> for state Senator in the 12th<\/a>, 13th<\/a> and 15th<\/a> districts, respectively, on Tuesday, June 23.<\/p>\n

In the 12th Senatorial District\u2019s Democratic primaries, Aber Kawas defeated Steven Raga to earn the party\u2019s nomination, according to unofficial results from the city\u2019s Board of Elections. As of 10:15 p.m., with more than 95% of votes counted, Kawas earned 60.19% of votes, with 12,346 in her favor, compared to 39.42% (8,086) for Raga. Kawas will look to succeed outgoing Senator Michael Gianaris.<\/p>\n

Raga had previously served as the Assembly Member for New York\u2019s 30th Assembly District, which covers parts of Woodside, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and Maspeth. Kawas, a member of the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)<\/a>, was endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother world is possible. We have all proven that today as a grassroots movement, a movement of organizers of ordinary people who have knocked doors, who have met in cafes, who have used a lot of signal chats, we are a group of ordinary people who believed and built a movement together because we believe another world is possible,\u201d Kawas said. \u201cThis victory did not come out of nowhere. This victory is an extension of the people\u2019s victory of last year\u2019s mayoral victory. Victory is an extension of decades of work, of centuries of marginalized communities who have been discarded in the United States who have worked every day to rise up and protect themselves and each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are going to fund dignity for working-class communities, for people who toil at construction sites, in streetcars, in taxicabs, in classrooms,\u201d Kawas continued. \u201cWe are here to fund dignity for the working-class New Yorkers, and in our campaign, we\u2019re going to do that by funding free health care, free transit and affordable housing for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

We won \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 pic.twitter.com\/5yNovts0Tc<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\u2014 Aber Kawas (@AberKawas) June 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d Raga said in a statement. \u201cTonight 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\u2014immigrants, 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo 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,\u201d Raga continued. \u201cThe movement we built belongs to the people of Western Queens. And its story is far from over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Democratic incumbent Jessica Ramos and challenger Hiram Monserrate were defeated by Jessica Gonz\u00e1lez-Rojas in the primary for the 13th Senatorial District. With 98.4% of ballots reported, as of 10:20 p.m., Gonz\u00e1lez-Rojas received 47.88% (6,476) of votes, while Ramos had 37.15% (5,024) and Monserrate got 14.54% (1,966).<\/p>\n

Ramos has represented the 13th Senatorial District since 2019. Gonz\u00e1lez-Rojas was the Assembly Member for New York\u2019s 34th Assembly District, which includes parts of Elmhurst, Corona and Jackson Heights.<\/p>\n

Incumbent Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. secured the nomination in the Democratic primary for the 15th Senatorial District over challenger Albert Baldeo. Addabo, who has been the State Senator for the 15th Senatorial District since he was first elected in 2008, earned 73.64% (7,427) of votes, with 96.26% of ballots counted, as of 10:35 p.m. Baldeo recorded 25.82% (2,604) of the votes.<\/p>\n

The primary victors will look to win the Senate seats in the general election, which will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 3.\n<\/p>\n

QNS reached out to several of the candidates from these elections for comment and is waiting to hear back.\n<\/p>\n