In a historic victory that underscores a national trend of democratic socialists defeating establishment candidates, Maurice 'Mo' Brown has won the Democratic primary for New York State Assembly District 129, unseating 28-year incumbent Bill Magnarelli. The victory, confirmed after the counting of mail-in ballots, was decided by approximately 100 votes.
Brown, a democratic socialist and member of the Syracuse chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), framed his win as a collective triumph against big money and establishment politics. '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,' Brown said. He will now face a Republican opponent in the general election, though the district is heavily Democratic.
Magnarelli, who first took office in 1999, had often run unopposed. In the final three weeks of the primary, DoorDash spent nearly $155,000 on advertisements opposing Brown, and Governor Kathy Hochul endorsed Magnarelli. Despite this, Brown's grassroots campaign prevailed, aided by early endorsements from the Syracuse DSA, the New York Working Families Party, and Citizen Action of New York. Later, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders also endorsed Brown.
Brown's campaign was part of the 'Affordability Slate,' a group of three candidates put forward by the Syracuse DSA. Jo Bennett won their primary for Onondaga County Legislator, District 15, defeating an opponent with 24 years in the legislature. Tammy Honeywell, the third candidate, lost her race but expressed optimism about the movement's growth. 'We launched these campaigns to bring Democratic Socialism to Syracuse, and we've done that!' Honeywell said.
The victories reflect a broader push for policies focusing on affordability, human rights, and opposition to data centers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Brown highlighted these priorities, stating, 'The voters chose the priorities we ran on, of affordability, protecting people from ICE, and banning data centers.'
The Syracuse DSA, established in 2018 and now with hundreds of dues-paying members, plans to shift focus to the general election on November 23rd. Brown expressed readiness to represent his community in Albany, saying, '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.'
