Diana Moreno Wins Special Election for State Parliament Seat
Diana Moreno, a 38-year-old democratic socialist, will succeed Mayor Zoran Mamdani in the state parliament following a strong win in a special election. She garnered 74% of the votes in Congressional District 36, as reported by the Associated Press. Mamdani had held this district since 2021 before becoming mayor last November.
Moreno outperformed two other candidates: Rana Abdelhamid, an Islamic socialist, and Mary Jobaida, also from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
In other special elections happening around the city, City Councilman Eric Bottcher (D-3) and former City Council Majority Leader Keith Powers (D-NY) also emerged victorious. Bottcher is aiming for a state senator position in Manhattan’s 47th Congressional District, while Powers is running to represent the 74th District, taking the place of Councilman Harvey Epstein (D-2).
While Bottcher and Powers defeated their Republican opponents fairly easily, Moreno faced a more competitive race among her Democratic peers. She was publicly supported by both Mamdani and the DSA but found herself amidst a political rift involving the mayor and former aide Rep. Nydia Velasquez (D-7).
It’s noteworthy that Velasquez backed Abdelhamid for the seat in response to what she saw as Mamdani’s failure to endorse her favored candidate for Congress, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso (D-N.Y.).
“The honeymoon is short, so people need to pay attention to the task at hand,” Velasquez mentioned to the New York Times after Mamdani decided to support DSA candidate Claire Valdez, despite her disapproval.
Bottcher achieved a remarkable 92% support within his district, which overlaps with his previous congressional seat. With another special election on the horizon for spring, his chief of staff, Carl Wilson, is being eyed as a top candidate to take over.
Powers, who represented City Council District 4 until the end of his term in 2025, won 82% of the votes against Republican Joseph Foley to claim Epstein’s district located on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
