David Oks

David E. Oks (/ɒks/) is an American writer and political activist, best known for organizing and managing the Mike Gravel 2020 presidential campaign as a high school senior.[1][2][3][4] Since 2020, Oks had been involved with the Gravel Institute, a progressive political advocacy group founded by Mike Gravel after the end of his 2020 presidential campaign.[5]

David Oks
Born
David E. Oks

2001 (age 21–22)
EducationPembroke College, Oxford (attending)
Known forManaging the Mike Gravel 2020 presidential campaign

Early life and education

Oks was born to a family of Jewish[6] immigrants from Argentina, who have been described as "socialist" in regards to his views.[7]

Oks attended the Masters School, where he was a student when he convinced former Senator Mike Gravel to enter the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries.[7]

He enrolled in Pembroke College at the University of Oxford in the fall of 2019.[8][9]

Campaign work

Oks previously ran an unsuccessful write-in campaign for mayor of Ardsley, New York in 2017.[10] His campaign for mayor was notable for his young age, which received attention in The New York Times and on WNYC.[11][12] He garnered 50 votes, or approximately 3% of the vote, in the election.[13]

Mike Gravel 2020 presidential campaign

Oks contacted Gravel on March 14, 2019, to propose a campaign in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries.[3] The stated goal was not to win the primaries but to reach the Democratic debate stage.[14] Gravel was hesitant at first, but Oks and school friend Henry Williams convinced Gravel to launch a campaign in order to promote their left-wing political views.[3]

According to Oks, he first learned about Gravel from Nixonland by Rick Perlstein, but was also encouraged by Felix Biederman's praise of Gravel on Chapo Trap House.[15]

Shortly after the campaign unofficially launched on March 20, 2019, Oks claimed authorship of posts that attracted much attention on Twitter.[2][14]

Along with Williams, Oks was the subject of a June 9, 2019 profile in The New York Times Magazine.[1]

After Gravel's campaign ended on August 6, 2019, Oks said that his goal with the campaign was "to push for a new sort of politics" and "to talk about issues we thought no other candidate was talking about."[8]

Subsequent work

According to The American Prospect, Oks has been involved with the creation of the Gravel Institute, a 501(c)4 advocacy group that promotes progressive causes and ideas through YouTube videos.[5]

References
  1. Keiles, Jamie Lauren (June 6, 2019). "Are These Teenagers Really Running a Presidential Campaign? Yes. (Maybe.)". The New York Times. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  2. Crosbie, Jack (March 20, 2019). "Mike Gravel's Viral 2020 Campaign Is the Brainchild of a New York Teen". Splinter. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  3. Graham, David A. (April 10, 2019). "Mike Gravel's Plan to Rock the Democratic Primary". The Atlantic. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  4. Farzan, Anita Noori (March 21, 2019). "An 88-year-old ex-senator is the newest Democratic dark horse". Press Herald. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  5. Pollard, Amelia (May 11, 2021). "The Gravel Institute Punches Up". The American Prospect. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  6. "An Orthodox Teenager Is Running The Most Unorthodox Presidential Campaign". The Forward. May 20, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  7. Pink, Aiden (May 20, 2019). "An Orthodox Teenager Is Running The Most Unorthodox Presidential Campaign". The Forward. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  8. "Mike Gravel's former campaign manager reflects on end of run". CBS News. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  9. Bring, Daniel M. (August 28, 2019). "David Oks's day off". Spectator USA. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  10. "16-Year-Old Wants To Become Next Mayor Of Ardsley, Then Go From There". Greenburgh Daily Voice. November 7, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  11. Foderaro, Lisa W. (September 28, 2017). "Too Young to Vote, but Asking for Yours". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  12. "Teen Betting on Write-In Campaign for Ardsley Mayor | WNYC | New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News". WNYC. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  13. "VILLAGE OF ARDSLEY - MAYOR" (PDF). 2017 General Election Canvass Book: 557 – via Westchester County.
  14. "An 88-year-old ex-senator is the newest Democratic dark horse thanks to the 'acerbic' teens running his Twitter". www.msn.com. Archived from the original on May 28, 2019. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  15. Adjei-Kontoh, Hubert (April 20, 2019). "Meet the 88-year-old powering his insurgent 2020 bid with teens". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
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