Opening youth clinics, navigating primary politics

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Mayor Zohran Mamdani appeared together Thursday to cut the ribbon on a new youth clinic at Woodhull Hospital in North Brooklyn. The clinic is one of two opening up in Brooklyn and Queens to serve young people ages 16-25, particularly those going through mental health struggles.

Behind the announcement, the political dynamics at play quickly became explicit. Reynoso is running in a high-voltage congressional primary against Assembly Member Claire Valdez, a Mamdani protege. Both jumped in the race after Rep. Nydia Velázquez, an early supporter of Mamdani’s, announced she was retiring. Velázquez has endorsed Reynoso, and she is displeased that Mamdani hasn’t deferred to her on her successor. Ominously, she told The New York Times, “honeymoons are short.”

“The borough president is running for Congress,” Mamdani said, responding to a question from NY1’s Kelly Mena. “He’s a friend of mine. I’ve endorsed another candidate for that seat. … All of these things can be true, and we can still be working together to deliver for the young people in New York City.”

In the crowd of elected officials behind the lectern Thursday, Reynoso hung back. He was the last to speak in the program, following a long list of City Council members and state lawmakers. He thanked Mamdani for giving the hospital attention. Then he switched to Spanish – a flex in a borough that is about a fifth Latino – and falsely translated the mayor’s earlier remarks. “He started with: ‘Soy el alcalde, Zohran Mamdani, y el condado de Brooklyn es mi favorito condado,’” Reynoso joked. (I’m Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the borough of Brooklyn is my favorite borough.) 

Reynoso was recently endorsed by the influential hotel workers union, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council. HTC endorsed Mamdani in the general election, and they were a major backer of Julie Menin in her campaign to be City Council speaker. “Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s agenda is deeply important to me. His success is important for the future of this city, and any opportunity I have to be a part of helping him be successful, I want to be a part of it,” Reynoso told City & State after the press conference. “I’m going to do that as borough president, and I look forward to being his partner as a congressman on Jan. 1.” 

Also present was Assembly Member Stefani Zinerman – who faces a second consecutive primary challenge from Democratic Socialists of America-endorsed candidate Eon Huntley – and two of Huntley’s backers: state Sen. Jabari Brisport and Council Member Chi Ossé.