Can Cameron Kasky take Manhattan?

Kasky, a survivor of the Parkland shooting, announced he is running for Congress in New York.

The 25-year-old activist is seeking the Democratic nomination in New York’s 12th Congressional District, currently represented by Jerry Nadler, 78, who is retiring.

“I never dreamed I’d 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,” Kasky said, in his announcement video.

The 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School turned Kasky into a gun control activist. He is a founder of March for Our Lives, a student-led organization that mobilized millions in the aftermath of the tragedy.

In 2021, Kasky gave several interviews revealing that he identifies as queer. In a recent episode of The Bulwark Podcast, Kasky told New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani that his dating life has been a disaster.

“My heart has been broken by two different women that both follow Zohran on Instagram,” Kasky said.

As for positions, Kasky, who is Jewish, is an outspoken critic of the Israel-Palestine conflict, regularly calling out Israel for “genocide.”

Kasky joins a crowded field of candidates vying for the seat. NY-12 covers all of midtown Manhattan and parts of the upper west and east sides.