A state Assembly campaign in Queens is attracting controversy after public statements from a candidate supported by Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani raised questions about her views on American national holidays and broader U.S. traditions.

Aber Kawas, a longtime activist and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, is running for the Assembly seat representing New York's 34th District. She has drawn support from Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America's Electoral Working Group in a contest to succeed Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, who is not seeking reelection.

Writings attributed to Kawas from 2015, first widely circulated this month, say she does not celebrate major federal holidays such as July 4th, Labor Day, or Veterans Day because she believes they "represent the silencing & destruction of our movements."

In a journal entry from September 2015, Kawas wrote, "Today I do not celebrate a day off, I only recommit myself to a global movement that fights against the death, displacement, and exploitation of people for capital," according to the New York Post.

Kawas added, "For this movement, a day off is not a victory. A day off means nothing, because liberation means everything."

Her remarks drew immediate criticism from local officials.

Queens City Council Member Robert Holden, a Democrat with conservative leanings, said in a statement, "When Zohran Mamdani backs candidates like Aber Kawas who openly hate Labor Day, Veterans Day, and the American Dream, it's a warning sign that we need to stop electing people who despise this country and everything it stands for."

Holden added, "Socialism has failed everywhere, and it's flat-out un-American."

Mamdani's support for Kawas comes as the mayor-elect prepares to take office in one of the nation's largest cities. Mamdani, a democratic socialist who has represented parts of Queens in the New York State Assembly, was elected mayor in November 2025, making him the city's first Muslim and first South Asian mayor.

Kawas' campaign also faces scrutiny for other past statements that critics say underscore opposition to traditional U.S. narratives about the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

In remarks that circulated on social media last month, she described the attack as something a "couple of people did" while connecting it to broader systemic grievances.

Former affiliations and advocacy work have also become points of debate in the race.

Kawas previously interned with the Council on American-Islamic Relations and remains active in Muslim advocacy networks, which opponents label controversial in the broader national security context.

Despite the criticism, Kawas remains a contender in a heavily Democrat district. Gonzalez-Rojas has endorsed her chief of staff, Brian Romero, setting up what is expected to be a competitive primary in the district's progressive-leaning district.

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