Claire Valdez Announces Candidacy for Congress

Queens Assemblywoman Claire Valdez, aligned with the Democratic Socialist Party of America and a supporter of Mayor Zoran Mamdani, declared her candidacy on Thursday to succeed retiring Representative Nydia Velasquez.

In a video shared for New York’s 7th Congressional District, the 36-year-old, previously a union organizer, vowed to combat “regime change” in Venezuela and promote what she calls a “golden age” for labor organizing. She mentioned this vision on her social platform.

“This year, Democrats nationwide will be up against MAGA fascists to reclaim the majority, but the outcome of this particular race will shape what that majority strives for,” she stated.

Valdez is set to compete with Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, along with his son, a former city councilman, in the Democratic primary for a district that spans from northern Brooklyn to western Queens.

Although Mamdani hasn’t officially endorsed anyone yet, he lauded Valdez back in December when rumors about her candidacy surfaced.

“I think Congressman Valdez is a remarkable public servant, someone who has effectively engaged with the working-class sentiment, incorporating both organized labor and progressive ideologies,” he remarked during that period.

Advisors Morris Katz and Andrew Epstein, key figures in Mamdani’s mayoral campaign, will lend their expertise to Valdez’s congressional endeavor.

Katz has privately encouraged Mamdani to show support for Valdez as well as Mika Lasher, a state representative from the Upper West Side, who is also vying in a competitive primary to replace the retiring U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler in New York’s 12th Congressional District.

Neither Katz nor representatives for Mamdani have commented on these developments.