Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso speaks at La Flor in Woodside after New York State Legal professional Basic Letitia James endorsed his marketing campaign. Picture by Shane O’Brien.
New York State Legal professional Basic Letitia James has endorsed Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso within the race to succeed veteran U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez in New York’s seventh Congressional District.
James made the announcement at Woodside restaurant La Flor Sunday afternoon, touting Reynoso’s dedication to reasonably priced housing residents throughout the district in addition to the borough president’s “public service and leadership.”
“He is the most experienced in this race and therefore I thought it necessary for me to come out and endorse him,” James advised QNS.
New York State Legal professional Basic Letitia James. Picture by Shane O’Brien.
Reynoso is one among three candidates working to succeed Velázquez in NY-7, with Assemblymember Claire Valdez and Council Member Julie Received additionally launching campaigns to succeed the veteran lawmaker, who introduced late final 12 months that she wouldn’t search re-election after 33 years in workplace.
Reynoso has obtained quite a few endorsements from conventional progressive Democrats since launching his marketing campaign on the finish of the 12 months, together with from Velázquez herself in January. Council Member Shekar Krishnan, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, the New York Working Households Get together and Make the Street Motion have additionally endorsed the Reynoso’s marketing campaign.
Valdez, in the meantime, has picked up endorsements from Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the New York Metropolis chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), with the race pitting conventional progressives in opposition to a DSA-backed candidate.
Received, who was a late entrant to the race initially of February, has but to choose up a significant political endorsement however has insisted that she shouldn’t be involved, noting that she gained a crowded subject for the 26 Council District with none significant endorsements.
Nonetheless, James’ endorsement represents a serious coup for the Reynoso marketing campaign.
The Legal professional Basic mentioned Sunday that Reynoso will “fight back” in opposition to President Donald Trump’s “agenda” and work for an financial system that prioritizes the working class.
“Antonio Reynoso has delivered real results on affordable housing, good jobs, and justice for our communities as Brooklyn Borough President,” James mentioned. “I can’t think of anyone who is more prepared to serve in that seat than Antonio Reynoso.”
James mentioned she didn’t have any issues about breaking with Mamdani to endorse in opposition to his chosen candidate, including that the difficulty wouldn’t affect her relationship with the Mayor.
“But at the end of the day, Letitia James usually wins,” she mentioned.
Reynoso, in the meantime, described James as “one of the strongest champions of working people” that New York has ever seen, including that he’s “humbled” by the endorsement.
“Attorney General Letitia James’ support gives us powerful momentum in this race as we take on Trump, fight back against ICE, and take on MAGA extremists that run Congress,” Reynoso mentioned.
Velázquez, who additionally joined Sunday’s endorsement announcement, described Reynoso because the “right leader” to fulfill the second.
“I truly believe that this moment found Antonio Reynolds and the Attorney General needs someone in Washington,” Velázquez mentioned.
Picture by Shane O’Brien
Velázquez endorsed Reynoso in January shortly after Mamdani had endorsed the Valdez marketing campaign, touting the borough president’s “deep connection” to the district in an obvious swipe at Valdez, who moved to New York Metropolis from Lubbock, Texas, in 2015.
Saying her endorsement two months in the past, Velázquez described Reynoso as a “homegrown progressive leader” who understands the “struggles of working families.” Reynoso has regularly pointed to his upbringing in Part 8 housing all through the marketing campaign.
Velázquez, who was the primary member of Congress to endorse Mamdani’s mayoral bid, appeared to fireplace a warning shot on the Mayor in an interview with the New York Instances printed across the identical time as her endorsement of Reynoso.
Velázquez mentioned Mamdani had risked inflicting a cut up within the coalition that helped him win election final 12 months by endorsing within the district earlier than she had endorsed her personal successor.
She mentioned primaries can present a “distraction” to Mamdani’s personal agenda, including that his resolution to endorse within the upcoming NY-7 open major may danger intra-party fights among the many coalition he wants to manipulate successfully.
She additionally advised the New York Instances that she didn’t initially plan to endorse within the race to succeed her as a result of she assumed a lawmaker that she had personally mentored, together with Reynoso, would win simply as soon as they launched their marketing campaign. Nonetheless, she mentioned Mamdani’s endorsement of Valdez in early January compelled her hand, describing the race to succeed her within the seventh Congressional District as “personal.”
