A 25-year-old survivor of the 2018 Parkland high school shooting, Cameron Kasky, is running for Congress in New York’s 12th Congressional District.
Kasky, who helped organize the anti-gun violence movement March for Our Lives, is campaigning on a progressive platform in what’s shaping up to be an already crowded 2026 Democratic primary.
He announced his campaign on Tuesday in an upbeat and energetic video not unlike the latest Democratic sensations in the city.
“New Yorkers are always on the move, reaching new heights and rushing towards the future, but today’s leaders just can’t keep up,” he said, the video showing him rushing across the city and using public transport.
“I’m running for Congress because there’s no real path forward for most Americans,” he said.
Kasky is one of nine notable Democrats who have declared their campaigns for retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler’s (D-NY) congressional seat. He’s one of the most progressive so far, riding on a campaign that wants Medicare for All, to “stop funding Genocide,” and to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“You and your family are working all week just to spend most of your paycheck on rent and healthcare. Meanwhile, the richest people in our country are telling us that we can’t afford real solutions like social housing and Medicare for all. No, we can only afford genocide, Palantir, mass surveillance contracts, and ICE thugs,” he continued.
Kasky noted his experience as a survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018 that claimed 17 lives.
“I never dreamed I would get into politics, but then a disturbed 19-year-old was able to legally purchase an assault rifle and murder 17 people at my high school,” he said. “My classmates and I learned the hard way that this shooting didn’t happen in spite of the American system. It happened because of it, and this is a system that is failing you at every turn.”
Kasky emerged from the tragedy alongside several other notable young political figures, including gun control advocate David Hogg.
He’ll have a steep hill to climb in order to become one of the youngest congressmen ever. Jack Scholossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, and Liam Elkind are among the several young candidates running.
More politically established candidates, such as New York City Councilman Erik Bottcher and state Assembly members Micah Lasher and Alex Bores, are also running. Journalist Jami Floyd, attorney Laura Dunn, and businessman Alan Pardee round out the field for now.
JFK’S GRANDSON, JACK SCHLOSSBERG, TO VIE FOR NADLER’S CONGRESSIONAL SEAT
Kasky acknowledged that he will need help to catch up to the rest of the field in fundraising.
“Please donate to me online,” he said. “All of my opponents have a lot of very rich friends. I can’t necessarily say the same thing about myself.”