A test of Mamdani’s endorsement power in the race to represent NY-7

7th District

Parts of Brooklyn including Bushwick , Williamsburg and Downtown Brooklyn, and parts of Queens, including Long Island City, Astoria and Sunnyside

TLDR: It’s a battle of the progressives in New York City’s Commie Corridor.

Incumbent: Nydia Velázquez (retiring)

Candidates: Claire Valdez, Antonio Reynoso, Julie Won, Vichal Kumar, Paperboy Love Prince 

2025 Democratic mayoral primary result (first round): Zohran Mamdani 65%; Andrew Cuomo 20%; Brad Lander 10%; Other 5%

The Z factor: Mamdani is swinging big for Valdez.

The X factor: The X factor here is the Z factor: Can the mayor get a largely unknown socialist elected to Congress?

What you need to know: The race for New York’s most left-wing congressional district got off to a spicy start from the moment the trailblazing Rep. Nydia Velázquez announced she would retire, and hasn’t cooled off since. Immediately, political observers began speculating who might run to replace her, with private conversations taking place as well that have since spilled into the public sphere. 

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso announced first, after several other potential contenders expressed they would not run. Assembly Member Claire Valdez, a democratic socialist and early Mamdani backer, announced next. Within a day, the mayor endorsed her, drawing public rebuke from Velázquez, who felt slighted after trying to find a candidate that different progressive and community factions could back. She endorsed Reynoso soon after. City Council Member Julie Won was a late entrant, shaking up what might have otherwise been a straight proxy war.

Reynoso has picked up significant progressive and union support so far, even as Valdez has pitched herself as the labor candidate. The New York Working Families Party, 32BJ SEIU, DC 37, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, New Kings Democrats and Citizen Action New York have all offered their support to Reynoso, along with several notable progressive elected officials. He has also gotten institutional support from the Queens Democratic Party, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and state Attorney General Letitia James.

Valdez, meanwhile, has the full support of the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and has garnered the backing of influential democratic socialists, including U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and many of her fellow socialists in office in the state Legislature. She also has the endorsement of United Auto Workers Region 9A and UAW President Shawn Fain. Valdez previously organized clerical workers at Columbia University with the union.

Despite leading in endorsements and entering the race first, Reynoso trails the pack in fundraising. At the end of the first quarter, he had brought in just over $630,000 since launching. Won, despite her late entrance, raised slightly more – about $645,000 since announcing in February. Valdez, meanwhile, far outpaced her fellow candidates, having logged over $750,000 in contributions. But when it came to current cash on hand, Reynoso had the most, followed by Won and Valdez.

Although Won represents her own sort of X factor in the race, the dynamics can be simplified as testing the emerging strength of NYC-DSA against the more institutional left in the city. Valdez has proven herself a loyal cadre member, but with just a full year under her belt in the Assembly, her experience pales in comparison to Reynoso. As for Reynoso, he has real progressive credentials and extensive experience representing large swaths of the community, but he is not part of the DSA left.