Cameron Kasky, the 25-year-old activist who emerged into national prominence following the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, has announced his candidacy for New York’s 12th Congressional District. His entrance adds another name to an already substantial field of Democratic primary contenders seeking to replace the retiring Representative Jerry Nadler.
Kasky’s announcement comes at a moment when progressive Democrats, particularly in New York City, are experiencing renewed momentum. Recent electoral victories in New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races, coupled with 34-year-old socialist Zohran Mamdani’s successful mayoral campaign in New York City, have energized the party’s left wing.
The young activist’s campaign video, released Tuesday, presents a fast-paced tour through New York City’s streets and subway system, accompanied by jazz music. “New Yorkers are always on the move, reaching new heights, and rushing towards the future, but today’s leaders just can’t keep up,” Kasky stated in the announcement.
This marks a significant political pivot for Kasky, who co-founded the student-led gun violence prevention organization “Never Again” in the aftermath of the Parkland shooting that claimed 17 lives. He later helped organize the March For Our Lives movement, which mobilized young Americans around stricter gun control legislation.
In his announcement, Kasky acknowledged his unexpected path into electoral politics. He stated that surviving the Parkland shooting taught him what he describes as systemic failures in American governance, failures he now seeks to address through legislative action rather than activism alone.
The candidate has outlined an ambitious progressive platform. His key policy positions include implementing Medicare for All, ending what he terms American funding of foreign conflicts he characterizes as genocide, and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Kasky faces competition not only from a crowded field of Democratic hopefuls but also from Jack Schlossberg, grandson of President John F. Kennedy, who has garnered considerable national attention since launching his own campaign for the seat. Both young candidates represent a generational shift in Democratic politics, though they bring markedly different backgrounds and name recognition to the race.
Representative Nadler, who is 78 years old, announced his retirement after serving decades in Congress. His district encompasses significant portions of Manhattan’s West Side, including the neighborhoods of Chelsea, Greenwich Village, Midtown, Hell’s Kitchen, and the Upper West Side. The district represents some of the most reliably Democratic territory in the nation, making the primary contest effectively determinative of who will serve in Congress.
The race reflects broader questions facing the Democratic Party about generational transition and ideological direction. As established figures like Nadler step aside, younger candidates are positioning themselves not merely as successors but as representatives of a fundamentally different approach to governance and policy priorities.
Whether voters in Manhattan’s 12th District will embrace Kasky’s progressive vision or opt for another candidate in the crowded field remains to be seen. The primary campaign ahead will test whether the activist energy that propelled recent progressive victories can translate into success in a congressional race where multiple candidates are competing for the party’s nomination.
Related: Maryland Mother Deported to Vietnam After Two Decades of Immigration Check-Ins
