Socialist is Front-Runner in a New York City Council Race; 'Democratic socialism is the future'

Khader El-Yateem, a community organizer, socialist, Palestinian-American pastor, who lives in Brooklyn is is seeking the Democratic nomination for the City Council seat in District 43.

He is the front-runner and has
been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America.

According to the Village Voice:

The El-Yateem election team has built a Bernie-style grassroots campaign, claiming to have registered more than 600 voters, including many at the entrance to mosques. They gathered 2,850 signatures to get on the ballot, more than any other candidate, and say they have a volunteer base of about 400 people — numbers that demonstrate the immense support for El-Yateem’s candidacy, according to his campaign.

And get this, also from the Voice:

 For El-Yateem, his spiritual life goes hand in hand with his socialist views. When he was at seminary in Bethlehem on the West Bank, he says, [he] studied under Naim Ateek, an Anglican priest credited as the founder of Palestinian liberation theology.

 El-Yateem's most aggressive promise, of private property invasion, during his campaign run has been a promise to crack down on home conversions which subdivide homes to create modern tenement housing.

And Alternet reports:

Sam Lewis, co-chair of the Brooklyn DSA Electoral Working Group, says hundreds of DSA members have knocked on more than 15,000 doors for El-Yateem. “It's clear that New Yorkers are ready for a city council member accountable to working people, not the interests of developers and the ruling class,” says Lewis. “Democratic socialism is the future."  

There are five candidates running in the Democratic primary for term-limited Vincent Gentile’s seat,which covers Bath Beach, Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, and Dyker Heights.

El-Yateem's strongest challenger in the primary appears to be Justin Brannan, who  most recently served as chief of staff for Gentile. Brannan is not the socialist that El-Yateem but he is no free market advoicate--just typical local crony.

The party primaries are to be held this Tuesday, followed by the general election on November 7.

 -RW