Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso believes that his greater than a decade of expertise as an elected official shall be a deciding issue as he gears up for a race with Meeting Member Claire Valdez to succeed U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez within the seventh Congressional District.
The district, which straddles Western Queens and North Brooklyn, is likely one of the most liberal districts within the nation and has been dubbed the “Commie Corridor” after the 2025 mayoral election, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo by over 40 factors within the district through the Democratic major.
Velázquez, who introduced late final yr that she wouldn’t search re-election after 33 years in Congress, has endorsed Reynoso to succeed her in a race that has pitted a standard progressive candidate in opposition to a candidate additional to the left backed by the New York Metropolis chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
Reynoso, a standard progressive molded by Velázquez, has picked up a variety of endorsements from Metropolis Council Members and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, whereas Valdez, who has been endorsed by the DSA and Mamdani himself, is a motion socialist who typically refers to her DSA colleagues as comrades.
Each candidates are ideologically aligned on a variety of key coverage points, however Reynoso pointed to his expertise as an elected official as a key distinction between the 2 campaigns. Reynoso represented the thirty fourth Council District for eight years earlier than succeeding Eric Adams as Brooklyn Borough President in 2022. He additionally helped discovered New Kings Democrats, established in 2008, which fought for extra inclusion within the Kings County Democratic Social gathering.
Valdez, however, boasts a background in union labor as an organizer with UAW Native 2110 however solely took workplace within the thirty seventh Meeting District in western Queens final yr.
Mamdani’s resolution to endorse Valdez earlier than Velázquez had made her personal endorsement seems to have set the Mayor at odds with the veteran lawmaker, who was the primary Congress Member to endorse Mamdani’s mayoral bid. In an interview with the New York Instances earlier in January, Velázquez warned Mamdani that he risked fracturing the coalition that helped elect him by wading into New York-7.
U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez endorsed Reynoso to succeed her in NY-7. Picture by way of Reynoso marketing campaign.
However Reynoso asserted that the race stays a contest between him and Valdez, and believes his file as an elected official will assist sway voters. He pointed, particularly, to his efforts to cross the Proper to Know Act whereas serving within the Metropolis Council, which mandates that NYPD officers ask for consent to conduct searches with out possible trigger and supply enterprise playing cards at any time when they cease anyone.
Reynoso has listed that addressing the housing disaster, taxing the wealthy and abolishing ICE as a few of his legislative priorities if he’s elected to Congress.
QNS spoke to Reynoso a couple of vary of marketing campaign points in a dialog final week. The interview has been edited for size and readability.
When the Congresswoman introduced that she was not in search of re election, what made you determine to place your hat within the ring for for this election?
Firstly, it was only a shock that Nydia was retiring. In the case of the management that we’ve been in search of, that this nation has been asking for, Nydia exemplified that to the very day earlier than she introduced and so it’s unhappy to listen to it.
However I additionally know the work that Nydia did to domesticate younger management on this neighborhood. There’s numerous us, perhaps 13 elected officers, who she helped mentor and information. What I imagine she was asking for is to permit for us to leap into the race, work out who climbs out on high, or who’s the one that may that may exemplify the management of the long run.
I wished to make it possible for I put my hat within the ring early to let folks know what my my intentions are, what my targets have been.
This district straddles two boroughs. You’re clearly very acquainted to the Brooklyn a part of the the district however much less acquainted to voters in Queens. How do you propose to bridge that hole?
Brooklyn is my dwelling. It’s a borough that I do know very nicely, however I used to characterize Ridgewood in Queens and Neighborhood Board 5, so I had relationships with folks in Maspeth, Center Village and Ridgewood. It’s not overseas to me in any method, form or kind, but additionally, I imagine that the problems that Queens is dealing with are the identical points that Brooklyn is dealing with.
Affordability is a large problem proper now. Housing prices have gone by the roof, and persons are struggling. Now we have a President that’s doing all the things in his energy to make our lives harder. We’re additionally seeing ICE terrorize our streets, and it’s universally one thing that folks on this district object to, particularly as a result of the folks that ICE goes after should not criminals, should not drug sellers or rapists or murderers. They’re simply on a regular basis of us.
I additionally need to inform the folks of Queens about how a lot of a fighter I’m, the result pushed individual I’m. I handed significant items of laws, I fought again in opposition to energy persistently, and I used to be born on this district, and my struggle for this district doesn’t come from simply studying it within the papers. It comes from the experiences that raised, that have been introduced right here, that raised me, and I wished these experiences to proceed to be like my guiding gentle and my North Star for a way I care for this district.
I imagine that my upbringing is just like many individuals on this district.
This race options two very progressive candidates that don’t differ on numerous coverage points. When you might have an opponent that’s ideologically just like you in so many areas, how do you stand out?
We’re going to agree on about 95% of points, so I don’t suppose that’s essentially going to be the place we’re going to point out numerous variations. We’re each deeply left elected officers, however I believe what persons are going to find out about me is I have already got a historical past of combating for folks. I’ve 12 years as an elected official, and have 20 years working on this neighborhood, a method or one other, on fights which can be deeply necessary.
When folks see that I don’t solely speak about it. I truly do the work. I’ve proven up for our communities. I believe that’s going to matter to folks, as a result of they need folks to go to Congress which can be going to be fighters, which can be going to fulfill the second, which can be going to fulfill disaster. I’m excited to be that individual.
An instance of wins that I’ve been capable of get is the Proper to Know Act, a chunk of police reform laws that was very troublesome. Many individuals instructed me that my profession could be political suicide.
I handed laws on industrial waste zones, the place we utterly redesigned how personal trash is managed in our metropolis, to assist employees and environmental justice.
This space has been known as the “Commie Corridor” after the mayoral election. Do you see it turning into a norm the place you might have a standard progressive working in opposition to a DSA candidate?
Now we have Democrats run in opposition to one another on a regular basis on this metropolis, and a few of them are extra left than others.
We’re seeing progressive candidates run for New York 12 proper now that it’s arduous to differentiate a lot of them as nicely. Democrats going in opposition to one another is quite common. It’s a major. It simply occurs to be that New York 7 is likely one of the most progressive districts in your entire nation, and there’s a DSA-supported candidate. After which there’s a left-leaning candidate. I simply really feel like that is regular.
How did it really feel to get the Congresswoman’s endorsement? Have been you stunned by her feedback about Mamdani and Claire Valdez in a New York Instances interview earlier within the month?
Nydia’s endorsement is arguably crucial endorsement on this race, as a result of this district has been served by her and has supported her for her complete profession. Receiving her validation means all the things. And never solely is it good for me as a candidate, however it’s additionally actually shifting {that a} mentor of mine has the arrogance in my talents to characterize a district that she cares deeply for. So it was, it was an honor to have the ability to get her her help was deeply prefer it was very, very significant.
This race just isn’t about Zohran versus Nydia. It’s about me versus Claire. And I believe when it comes all the way down to it, the voters are going to decide on between us two, and we’ve to make our case on why we might be the perfect candidate.
I’m going to point out them the fights I’ve had. Earlier than I used to be a Metropolis Council Member, I used to be combating in opposition to social gathering politics right here in Brooklyn. As a 23 yr previous, I made a decision I used to be going to begin a company known as New Kings Democrats, particularly to struggle in opposition to that social gathering energy in order that we might transfer the affect away from a couple of and provides it to your entire Democratic Social gathering.
The place do you see the federal authorities’s function in addressing the affordability disaster in New York Metropolis?
I believe there are two points that I believe are deeply necessary and significant. The primary one is Part 8. I used to be a son born in Part 8-based housing, and it saved my life. And what I need to do is have the ability to develop on that. Secure housing is a foundational help that should exist for everybody… Part 8 is a path to having the ability to do this in a significant method.
I additionally need to deal with NYCHA. I believe NYCHA has gone by a horrible time associated to upkeep due to the horrible administration of governors and mayors of the previous, however NYCHA itself is the premier and essentially the most profitable inexpensive housing initiative this nation has ever had. We will do the kind of work the place we’ve a NYCHA improvement that has the sustainability and the upkeep funds to have the ability to preserve it afloat and keep dignified housing.
For those who have been elected, how would you propose to push by the tax the wealthy insurance policies you might have proposed when it’s a must to work with extra average Democrats and Republicans? It has proved troublesome to implement these insurance policies in a deep-blue state like New York?
I believe institution Democratic politics have failed us for too lengthy, and I believe it’s making it so that folks like Donald Trump can get elected.
Sooner or later, the institution has to go see what’s profitable in different elements of this nation that’s shifting us in a course the place persons are excited concerning the Democratic Social gathering once more. I believe, that includes a message that doesn’t look out for the pursuits of the few and the wealthy.
We’ve seen the most important wealth switch on this nation’s historical past over the past 5 years, and what we’re seeing is arguably one of many hardest instances for Individuals in that very same period of time… After I get into Congress, my job each single day is to maneuver the Democratic Social gathering in that course.
You may have pledged to abolish ICE if elected. The place is the place to begin for that in case you are elected?
I believe it begins with the funds. In Congress, we might have the ability of the purse.
The laws that we have to cross, to de-mask ICE brokers, is one thing that we’ll work on, however we’ve the ability of the purse. It begins by holding them accountable, that this terrorizing drive in our neighborhood shouldn’t be one which we’re funding in any respect.
So when funds negotiations begin, we’ve to carry the road on the truth that we need to begin abolishing ICE, and the way in which to do this is by taking away their cash.
The President has made express threats in opposition to numerous blue states, New York amongst them. Most not too long ago, he has threatened to withhold federal funds to any state that homes sanctuary cities. How would you stand as much as these form of threats?
First, we’ve to sue the president any likelihood we get. After which we should maintain the folks which can be enabling this habits accountable.
We ought to be holding investigations. We ought to be ensuring we subpoena representatives which can be inflicting hurt. We must always simply actually use the ability of oversight that Congress has to make it possible for we’re holding folks accountable and ensuring that they’re not doing issues which can be unlawful.
However New York is a particular house, and will Trump illegally make it in order that he’s capable of lower funds from New York, we must be ready on the state and metropolis stage to react to that. I believe taxing the wealthy is a really clear method that we are able to make that occur.
The information reveals very clearly that billionaires and millionaires are completely fantastic in New York Metropolis, no matter who the Mayor is, however it’s only a concern tactic that folks use to attempt to push in opposition to insurance policies that may assist the numerous versus the few.
Assuming you might be elected, what’s your day one legislative precedence?
Housing is the one I need to actually sort out. I need to deal with the initiative to develop Part 8 and develop NYCHA. I need to allow extra help for the creation of NYCHA-type models.
Puerto Rico is a giant a part of your marketing campaign. You need to reintroduce Puerto Rican self-determination in Congress. How necessary is that to the district?
Sadly, Puerto Rico doesn’t have a federal consultant, and as a commonwealth, has been put able the place its consultant is Nydia Velzquez. She’s taken the burden of not solely representing New York 7, but additionally of combating for and representing the folks of Puerto Rico. So whoever takes this seat wants to have the ability to handle that and in addition tackle that burden. You’re not simply there for the New York 7, You’re ensuring that you just’re combating and advocating for Puerto Rico’s proper to self-determination. Proper now, we’re seeing fixed blackouts and a failed electrical grid system, we’re seeing the displacement of long-term residents and Puerto Rico turning into a tax haven for exterior gamers.
