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Jenifer Rajkumar alleges religious bias in closely watched Queens primary
Voters will head to the polls on June 23 as Rajkumar seeks another term representing New York's 38th Assembly District.
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Ankita Baidya - Mon, 22, Jun 2026
- 05:40 EDT
- 45
Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar has accused supporters of her primary opponent of targeting her Hindu faith / nyassembly.gov
New York State Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar, has alleged that supporters of her opponent, David Orkin, are targeting her religion in the final days of a closely watched Democratic primary race in South Queens.
Voters will head to the polls on June 23 as Rajkumar seeks another term representing New York's 38th Assembly District.
Also Read: Aparna Raj claims D.C. Ward 1 Democratic nomination
In a post on X, Rajkumar accused the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) of spending thousands of dollars on advertisements that she said imply she is "an agent of a foreign government" because of her Hindu faith.
"DSA claims to condemn hate abroad, yet here at home they are using hate, division, and religious targeting to turn neighbors against each other," Rajkumar wrote. "This violates basic principles of human dignity."
The DSA Hate Machine is spending the final days of its desperate campaign promoting racism and religious bigotry.
— Jenifer Rajkumar (@JeniferRajkumar) June 20, 2026
They are spending thousands of dollars on ads pushing the absurd accusation that I — the first Hindu ever elected to New York State office — must be an agent of a… pic.twitter.com/fM4XBMfZkA
Rajkumar, who has represented the district since 2021, is facing a challenge from David Orkin, a staff attorney with immigrant advocacy organization Make the Road New York.
The district includes the Queens neighborhoods of Ridgewood, Glendale, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, and Ozone Park.
Orkin launched his campaign in January, focusing on issues including immigration, affordability, and labor protections. He has received support from U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Rajkumar has secured endorsements from several labor unions, including the NYC Uniformed Fire Officers Association, TWU Local 100, and DC 37, along with unions representing healthcare workers, educators, and building service employees.
The campaign has also been marked by legal disputes.
Earlier this year, Orkin filed a lawsuit seeking to remove Rajkumar from the ballot, alleging that her campaign submitted forged petition signatures, including those of a journalist and one of his volunteers.
A Queens judge dismissed the case on procedural grounds, allowing Rajkumar to remain on the ballot.
At the time, Rajkumar described the lawsuit as "an ugly attempt by the Democratic Socialists of America to disenfranchise Queens voters, especially minority voters."
A civil rights attorney and first-generation American, Rajkumar is the daughter of Indian immigrants who settled in Queens.
She was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020, becoming the first South Asian woman elected to the New York State Legislature and the first Hindu elected to New York State office.
In her latest appeal to voters, Rajkumar urged residents to reject what she described as hate and division.
"On June 23, South Queens will come together and reject hate. Love will win. The people will win," she wrote.
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