Brannan Ties Candidacy to Anti-Israel DSA Allies as Levine Builds Momentum in NYC Comptroller Race

Edited by: Fern Sidman

As the race for New York City Comptroller heats up, stark ideological lines are emerging between the candidates — and none more vividly than in Councilman Justin Brannan’s latest campaign maneuver. Brannan, who represents a Brooklyn district and is running for the city’s top fiscal watchdog post, is hosting a fundraiser this Saturday alongside one of the Democratic Socialists of America’s most controversial figures: Councilwoman Tiffany Caban.

According to a report that appeared on Tuesday in The New York Post, Caban — a Queens-based DSA leader and outspoken critic of Israel — will co-host the “meet and greet” with fellow Assemblywoman Claire Valdez, another elected official backed by the DSA. The event, slated for Sunnyside, promotes Brannan as a champion of the progressive left, branding him the “Working People’s Bulldog” and citing his support from the Working Families Party.

The move signals a calculated effort by Brannan to consolidate support from the city’s ascendant far-left flank. But it also places him squarely in the crosshairs of pro-Israel voters and centrists increasingly uneasy with the DSA’s anti-Zionist messaging — a tension that is intensifying as the Democratic primary approaches.

Caban’s prominence as a critic of Israel has been well documented by The New York Post. The Councilwoman has repeatedly used her platform to align LGBTQ+ liberation with Palestinian political causes, declaring during last year’s Pride Month that “queer liberation means ‘Free Palestine!’”

Throughout the month, she posted photos on social media showing herself with signs that read “Queer as in Free Palestine” and “No pride in genocide” — slogans widely seen as hostile to Israel and frequently used in BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) circles.

Her activism did not stop at slogans. As reported by The New York Post, Caban also made a high-profile appearance at Columbia University’s controversial “Gaza Solidarity” encampment in April, an anti-Israel protest that escalated into an occupation of school buildings, property destruction, and physical confrontations. The encampment became a flashpoint for national debate over campus antisemitism and anti-Zionism, with Caban’s presence seen by many as a tacit endorsement of the demonstrators’ tactics and message.

Brannan’s alliance with such a figure is raising eyebrows — and questions — among those closely watching the dynamics of the comptroller’s race.

Brannan’s leftward lean is not limited to his political endorsements. As The New York Post report revealed, his campaign has received two separate donations totaling $500 from Linda Sarsour — the polarizing activist and co-founder of the Women’s March who is also a staunch advocate of the BDS movement against Israel.

Sarsour has referred to Israel as an “apartheid state” and has been criticized across the political spectrum for incendiary rhetoric that many consider to be deeply divisive, particularly in the Jewish community.

She is also actively campaigning for another candidate closely aligned with the DSA: Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, a vocal proponent of the BDS cause and current mayoral hopeful, as was indicated in The New York Post report.  Sarsour’s involvement in both campaigns shines a spotlight on a broader effort by anti-Semitic activists to deepen their influence within the city’s political apparatus — and it highlights the ideological thread connecting Brannan to this wing of the Democratic Party.

While Brannan is courting the left, his chief rival, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, is attempting to solidify support from more moderate and establishment-aligned Democrats — and early polling suggests he is succeeding.

An internal campaign survey obtained by The New York Post shows Levine with a commanding lead in the Democratic primary. According to the poll, conducted by Global Strategy Group, Levine is pulling 33% of the vote, compared to Brannan’s 14% and Brooklyn State Senator Kevin Parker’s 6%. When Parker voters were asked to choose between Levine and Brannan, Levine’s lead expanded further, jumping to 40% versus Brannan’s 18%.

The data paints a picture of a race that, while still fluid, is currently tilting decisively in Levine’s favor. While a sizable portion of the electorate remains undecided or unfamiliar with the candidates, the momentum appears to be with the Manhattan Borough President — especially among those uneasy with the city’s increasingly polarized political environment.

The office of Comptroller is no small prize. The New York Post reported that as the city’s chief financial officer, the Comptroller oversees billions of dollars in public pension funds, audits city agencies, and plays a key role in managing the fiscal health of the five boroughs. The role requires a delicate balance of financial expertise, political independence, and public trust.

Brannan’s strategy — aligning with far-left figures like Caban and accepting support from high-profile BDS advocates — may energize a progressive base, but it also risks alienating voters who view such alliances as incompatible with the responsibilities of fiscal oversight and public stewardship.

Levine, on the other hand, appears to be betting on a message of stability and experience, hoping to appeal to a broader swath of the electorate tired of ideological extremes and more concerned with fiscal accountability and pragmatic governance, as was noted in The New York Post report.

According to an internal poll released by Levine’s campaign and reported by The New York Post, the Manhattan Borough President is consolidating a broad and diverse base of support across the city’s boroughs. The survey, conducted by the well-known Democratic firm Global Strategy Group, paints Levine as the early front-runner, with particular strength among key demographic groups.

Levine’s poll shows him leading Brannan by a commanding margin of 33% to 14%, with Brooklyn State Senator Kevin Parker drawing 6% and a large percentage of voters still undecided. Among voters who were initially supporting Parker, Levine’s lead grows even further—expanding to 40% versus Brannan’s 18% when voters are asked to choose between the top two contenders.

The poll, as described in The New York Post, claims that Levine has managed to build a “multi-racial and cross-borough coalition,” securing significant footholds in the Bronx and Manhattan even before launching a full-scale paid media campaign. Notably, Levine is “nearing the 50% mark among Hispanic voters, Jewish voters, and seniors”—all critical voting blocs in a citywide election.

This positioning could prove decisive in a low-turnout primary, particularly if Levine maintains his advantage in early voting. The data indicates that his name recognition, geographic reach, and demographic appeal are helping him distance himself from his rivals even in the preliminary stages of the campaign.

But Brannan’s campaign is not taking the narrative of a Levine surge lying down. In response to The New York Post’s reporting on Levine’s internal poll, Brannan’s team dismissed the numbers as “nonsense” and offered a dramatically different picture.

“We’ve got our own polling that shows Justin leading 42-28 once voters are informed about the race,” said Brannan spokesperson Jon Paul Lupo. “Most candidates confident in a big lead in their polls don’t spend time pitching negative stories about small donors and house party hosts—especially not people they’ve previously praised.”

This reference was a thinly veiled jab at Levine’s recent criticisms surrounding Brannan’s alliances with controversial left-wing figures, including DSA Councilwoman Tiffany Caban and BDS advocate Linda Sarsour. Brannan’s allies argue that the attacks are politically opportunistic, especially given Levine’s past praise for both Caban and Sarsour in prior years.

Indeed, The New York Post report noted that Levine publicly defended Caban in 2022, when she faced conservative criticism for her statements on policing and Gaza. Back in 2014, Levine also tweeted praise for Linda Sarsour’s ability to “see the humanity of people on both sides of the [Israel-Palestinian] conflict.”

Still, the question of Israel—and candidates’ proximity to voices critical of the Jewish state—has become a flashpoint in the campaign. Caban has repeatedly made headlines for her outspoken anti-Israel views, which include support for pro-Hamas, pro-terror, campus encampments and slogans such as “Queer as in Free Palestine” and “No pride in genocide,” as previously reported by The New York Post.

While Caban declined to comment for The Post’s latest story, she has previously defended her participation in the Columbia University Gaza Solidarity encampment, which escalated into property takeovers and confrontations with law enforcement. In a joint statement with other DSA-aligned council members, she said: “We believe in freedom, safety and equal rights for all Palestinians and Israelis, and we celebrate the students fighting for those aims, undaunted in the face of hostile university administrators and armed police battalions.”

The comptroller’s office is a position of significant influence in city government. As the fiscal steward of New York City, the comptroller manages one of the largest public pension funds in the nation, audits city agencies, and serves as a watchdog over municipal spending. The next person to occupy the role will replace current Comptroller Brad Lander, who is running for mayor instead of seeking re-election—setting the stage for a wide-open primary.

Lander’s own political trajectory is instructive. In 2021, he defeated former Council Speaker Corey Johnson in a hard-fought primary, leveraging progressive support and a reputation for fiscal activism, as was reported in The New York Post. This year’s race, however, appears to be unfolding along different lines: less about technocratic expertise, and more about ideological identity and alliances.

While Levine touts his cross-demographic reach and financial stewardship credentials, Brannan is leaning into grassroots organizing and left-wing coalition-building—though his proximity to highly polarizing figures like Caban and Sarsour may limit his crossover appeal among moderate Democrats and Jewish voters citywide.

With early voting opening on June 14 and the primary scheduled for June 24, the clock is ticking. Both Levine and Brannan have begun to crystallize their campaign messages: Levine as the fiscally savvy, cross-borough unifier; Brannan as the progressive “bulldog” backed by activist energy.

As The New York Post reported in detail, the race is no longer just about who audits city spending—it’s about who shapes the future of New York’s Democratic politics. Will it be Levine’s broad, multiracial coalition—or Brannan’s unapologetically progressive insurgency?

The answer lies with the voters, who are just beginning to tune in.