Representative Nydia Velázquez is retiring after more than three decades in Congress, bringing to a close one of the longest careers in New York City's congressional delegation. Her departure opens up a competitive Democratic primary for the seat she has held for years, and several candidates are now vying to succeed her.
Velázquez has represented New York's 7th Congressional District, which covers parts of northern Brooklyn and western Queens. Over her long tenure she became a fixture of the area's progressive politics, and her decision to step aside has set off an unusually closely watched race to replace her in a heavily Democratic district.
Two names have emerged at the center of the contest. The retiring congresswoman has endorsed Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, while Mayor Mamdani has thrown his support behind Assemblywoman Claire Valdez, a Democratic Socialist. The split has given the primary an added layer of intrigue, pitting two well-known figures against each other with high-profile backers on each side.
Reynoso, the Brooklyn Borough President, is now running for Congress with the backing of the woman whose seat he hopes to fill. An endorsement from a long-serving incumbent carries weight in a primary, and Reynoso is leaning on Velázquez's support as he makes his case to voters across the district.
On the other side is Claire Valdez, a state Assemblywoman who identifies as a Democratic Socialist and has been endorsed by Mayor Mamdani. Her candidacy, with the mayor's backing, has become a test of how much that endorsement can move a competitive congressional primary, and of the strength of the city's left wing.
With the retiring congresswoman and the mayor lining up behind different candidates, the race to represent northern Brooklyn and western Queens has become a contest between rival camps within the Democratic Party. Both Reynoso and Valdez have been making their cases directly to voters, including in interviews on local television, as the district prepares to choose Velázquez's successor.