Mayor Zohran Mamdani and United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain have endorsed state Assemblymember Claire Valdez in the race for the congressional seat covering parts of Brooklyn and Queens. Valdez, a 36-year-old former union organizer and Democratic Socialists of America ally, is running for the open seat after Rep. Nydia Velázquez announced she will not seek reelection to make way for a new progressive generation.
Mamdani endorsed Valdez shortly after her campaign launch and is set to appear with her and Fain at a Brooklyn event, calling the district one that has “long been on the front lines of the progressive movement,” according to Gothamist. Valdez is expected to face a primary challenge from Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, setting up a contest between two left-leaning Democrats with differing ties to grassroots organizing and the party establishment.
Claire Valdez, a labor organizer running for a Brooklyn-Queens congressional seat, has spoken out against “regime change” in Venezuela in her campaign launch video. She has described the race as part of a national effort, stating, “This year Democrats across the country will take on MAGA fascists to win back the majority,” as reported by New York Post. Valdez’s campaign is being advised by Morris Katz and Andrew Epstein, aides closely associated with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, though they do not hold official City Hall roles. Valdez has also pointed to Mamdani’s backing as important to her campaign, saying, “The mayor’s support will help us carry that fight forward in Congress for working people,” as per Gothamist.
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