Mamdani-backed NY State Senate candidate who downplayed 9/11 wins NYC primary

Aber Kawas — the DSA member and Mamdani-backed candidate who once described 9/11 as a terror attack that a “couple people did” — cinched the Democratic nomination to rep a western Queens based state senate district Tuesday night.Kawas, a self-described “Muslim civil right advocate,” won with 60% of the vote in her primary race against Assemblyman Steven Raga (D-Queens) to replace outgoing state Sen.Mike Gianaris (D-Queens) with 95% of precincts reporting.Kawas has also been listed as a speaker for CAIR, a controversial Muslim charity accused of Hamas links.While Gianaris, who held a significant amount of power as deputy majority leader and chair of Senate Democrats’ campaign arm in Albany, made endorsements in several other primary races, he did not weigh in on his chosen successor....