City Comptroller Candidate Mark Levine Refuses to Disavow Support From Pro-Hamas Activist

June 17, 2025
10:30 pm

QUEENS, NY— Mark Levine, a Democratic candidate for New York City Comptroller, is facing growing calls to publicly distance himself from Brian Romero, a controversial figure in New York State politics and a proud member of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

In the aftermath of the Hamas atrocity on October 7, while the victims hy”d were still being buried and the family was sitting down for shiva, Romero started to organize protests on the NYC streets and proudly posted pictures and videos on social media of himself being arrested and chanting “Resistance is justified,” justifying the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust. His actions drew widespread condemnation from Jewish leaders and community members who saw the protests as a direct affront to grieving families.

Months later, Romero started to organize support and lay the ground for Mark Levine to become the City Comptroller of New York City, and in December of 2024, he officially hosted a fundraiser for Levine, giving Levine a boost in cash since the event was focused on small-dollar donations, which the city matches 8 to 1. In an email, he asked his fellow socialists to help his “good friend,” Mark Levine, “who fights for New Yorkers.” Romero helped coordinate political groundwork in key areas of the borough and went on to play a role in building support for Levine’s campaign in Queens. According to individuals familiar with the campaign.

Jewish Community leaders have asked Levine to publicly disavow Romero and return any campaign contributions Romero raised or facilitated. So far, Levine has declined to do either. “We can’t consider supporting a candidate who’s unwilling to take a basic moral stand,” said one local leader who requested anonymity to speak candidly. “Romero justified the murder of Jews. If Levine can’t say that’s wrong—if he can’t return that money—then that tells us everything we need to know, and no one should be supporting him.”

The controversy is the latest flashpoint in the city’s ongoing debate over political accountability in the wake of rising antisemitism. As the race for comptroller heats up, some say this could be a defining test of leadership for Levine—one he appears to be failing.

This also comes after Levine tries to hide his role of voting to defund the NYPD in 2020 after the unrest across the country. While still a councilman and a candidate for Manhattan Borough President, he went on CNN and was one of the first elected officials in NYC to call to defund the police.

The controversy follows the revelation of Mr. Levine’s working relationship with Abby Stein, a transgender activist who left the Orthodox Jewish community and is an outspoken critic of the Orthodox Jewish community and the yeshiva education and organizes protests in support of the antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel. Mr. Levine proudly boasted on social media about their friendship and praised Stein for her leadership.

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