Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso at a marketing campaign occasion earlier in January. Picture courtesy of Reynoso marketing campaign.
The New York Working Households Get together (WFP) has endorsed Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso within the race to succeed outgoing U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez in New York’s seventh Congressional District.
Reynoso is operating towards Meeting Member Claire Valdez and Council Member Julie Gained to succeed Velázquez, who introduced late final yr that she wouldn’t search re-election after 33 years in workplace.
The district, which straddles north Brooklyn and western Queens, is likely one of the most liberal congressional districts within the nation, pitting three progressive candidates towards one another forward of the Democratic main in June.
Reynoso, who scooped an endorsement from Velázquez in January, picked up the WFP endorsement on Monday, with the WFP describing the Brooklyn Borough President because the “best candidate” to symbolize working households.
“Antonio is deeply trusted by our movement,” Jasmine Gripper, WFP’s state director mentioned in a press release. “We know that as a member of Congress, he will lead the fights to protect immigrants, stand up for tenants, stand arm in arm with labor, and make New York a place where working families can afford to live and thrive.”
Reynoso welcomed the endorsement, descrbing WFP as a “progressive powerhouse.”
“Since my time as an organizer and from the beginning of my time in public office, we have worked together on critical issues for working families in this city like affordable housing, universal childcare and supporting our immigrant communities,” Reynoso mentioned in a press release welcoming the endorsement.
Reynoso has additionally picked up endorsements from various Metropolis Council Members, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards in his bid for Congress.
Valdez, in the meantime, has picked up endorsements from Mayor Zohran Mamdani, United Auto Employees and the New York Metropolis chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
Gained, who entered the race a month after Reynoso and Valdez, has not but introduced any main endorsements however has pointed to the truth that she received a 15-way contest for the twenty sixth Council District in 2020 with none main endorsements.
“Elected officials are amazing and great, but they’re not your voters,” Gained informed QNS earlier in February.
The WFP endorsement, nonetheless, is a big coup for Reynoso in a hotly-contested race to succeed Velázquez, which, like many ongoing races in western Queens, pits conventional progressives towards a DSA-backed candidate.
It is usually not the primary time that the group has damaged with the DSA in a race in western Queens this yr.
In Meeting District 34, the WFP endorsed candidate Brian Romero in his bid to succeed Meeting Member Jessica González-Rojas, whereas the DSA endorsed Aber Kawas. Kawas has since dropped out of the race to launch a marketing campaign for the twelfth Senate District.
Gripper mentioned the WFP was endorsing Reynoso as a result of he would “unequivocally” proceed Velázquez’s legacy within the district.
“In this endorsement, we have big shoes to fill in replacing the titan of the NY Working Families Party, La Luchadora, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez. Antonio Reynoso will unequivocally be able to carry on her legacy of championing working families. The New York Working Families Party is ready to send Antonio Reynoso to Congress,” Gripper mentioned.
