Parkland School Shooting Survivor To Run For Rep. Nadler's Congressional Seat

NEW YORK CITY — Parkland school shooting survivor and March For Our Lives co-founder Cameron Kasky said he is running to represent New York’s 12th District in Congress on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old, who announced his candidacy in a video posted to his socials, is joining a packed field to succeed Congressman Jerry Nadler, who said in September that he'd step down at the end of his term.

The field for the deep-blue seat also includes Assemblymembers Micah Lasher and Alex Bores, Councilmember Erik Bottcher, Kennedy heir Jack Schlossberg, and Rhodes scholar Liam Elkind, as well as newcomers Laura Dunn, Jami Floyd, Alan Pardee, and Mathew Shurka so far.

Kasky rose to national prominence after confronting Sen. Marco Rubio on CNN in the aftermath of the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Fla., and later joined classmates in advocating for gun reforms.

Now an Upper West Side resident, Kasky has been outspoken about the war in Gaza, linking his views to his experience surviving "mass violence caused by American-made weapons," according to his campaign. He has also criticized U.S. support for Israel and called the violence a genocide.

"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," Kasky said in the video, referencing agents who work for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The self-described Democratic Socialist's platform includes support for Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, an arms embargo on Israel, and policies aimed at reducing income inequality and strengthening the working class.

"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," Kasky said in the video.

"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."

When Nadler said in September that he would leave public office at the end of his term, he emphasized that it was time to make way for "a new generation" of politics.

"This decision has not been easy," Nadler, who has served in public office for more than 30 years, said in September. "But I know in my heart it is the right one and that it is the right time to pass the torch to a new generation."

Kasky echoes Nadler's sentiment in his video.

"I'm running for Congress because it feels like our party has no future. So we need to invest in a new generation of leaders to take on the fight," he said.

District 12 includes the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side, Midtown, Hell's Kitchen, Central Park, Union Square, Chelsea, Roosevelt Island, and Stuy-Town.

The general election for NY-12 is on Nov. 3, 2026.

For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.

Correction, 5:35 p.m.: This article has been updated to add Roosevelt Island in the list of neighborhoods that District 12 includes.