{"id":504722,"date":"2026-01-09T22:29:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T22:29:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/504722\/"},"modified":"2026-01-09T22:29:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T22:29:25","slug":"mamdani-uaw-endorse-am-claire-valdez-for-ny-7-congressional-seat-amnewyork","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/504722\/","title":{"rendered":"Mamdani, UAW endorse AM Claire Valdez for NY-7 Congressional seat \u2013 amNewYork"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the United Auto Workers (UAW) have endorsed Assembly Member Claire Valdez in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez in New York\u2019s 7th Congressional District, including parts of Western Queens and North Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

Mamdani appeared alongside Valdez at a campaign event at Bushwick\u2019s Maria Hernandez Park on Friday afternoon to endorse her in the race, one day after Valdez officially launched<\/a> her run to replace Vel\u00e1zquez, who announced late last year that she would not be seeking re-election<\/a> after 16 terms in office.<\/p>\n

Valdez, a member of the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) who has represented the 37th Assembly District since early 2025, announced her campaign to run for Congress early Thursday morning. Mamdani, who was reportedly highly influential in encouraging Valdez to run for Vel\u00e1zquez\u2019s soon-to-be-vacant seat, described Valdez as someone who will \u201cstand with workers at every single opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Mayor also noted that Valdez was the only elected official to appear at the launch event of his mayoral campaign in October 2024.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cStanding with me then took courage,\u201d Mamdani said. \u201cIt took belief that people who do an honest day\u2019s work deserve to come home and stay in their home.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Valdez also picked up an endorsement from UAW at Friday\u2019s event, with union President Shawn Fain describing Valdez\u2019s campaign as a \u201cremedy\u201d for how working-class voters can \u201cfight back\u201d against corporate interests.<\/p>\n

Fain pointed to Valdez\u2019s roots organizing with UAW Local 2110 while she worked at Columbia University, describing Valdez as someone who stands up to the \u201ctoughest bosses\u201d in the city.<\/p>\n

A DSA candidate had long been expected to enter the race to replace Vel\u00e1zquez in NY-7 prior to Valdez\u2019s Jan. 8 announcement, with both Valdez and Astoria Council Member Tiffany Cab\u00e1n both reportedly expressing interest in running for a district that broke for Mamdani by over 51% last year.<\/p>\n

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso has also launched a campaign<\/a> to replace Vel\u00e1zquez, picking up a slate of endorsements in the City Council when he announced his candidacy at the beginning of December.<\/p>\n

On Friday, Valdez said she hoped to \u201ctake on the bosses\u201d and \u201ctake on corporate interests\u201d throughout her campaign, pointing to \u201chousing for all, Medicare for all and union for all\u201d as three central components of her run for Congress.<\/p>\n

\"ValdezValdez speaks at Friday\u2019s event. Photo by Shane O\u2019Brien.<\/p>\n

She also spoke of a need for New York to be \u201cstronger\u201d against ICE and the Trump Administration, accusing the federal government of \u201ckidnapping neighbors for far too long.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to stand up against the fascist administration,\u201d Valdez said. \u201cWe need fighters in Washington to stand up against them.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

She also vowed to fight to abolish ICE if she is elected to Congress.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cICE should be abolished. It serves no purpose besides terrorizing our communities,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n

Separately, she described joining UAW Local 2110 as a moment that \u201ctransformed\u201d her life and vowed to fight to make it easier for workers to join unions across the country.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThe very basics that every worker deserves are won by organizing for unions that are fought for at the bargaining table and fought for at the picket line every single day in the United States,\u201d Valdez said. \u201cBut far too few workers are given the ability to join those unions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Valdez and Reynoso share a number of ideological similarities; both are prominent labor organizers and both have described Israel\u2019s actions in Palestine as a \u201cgenocide.\u201d Valdez, however, said she was bringing her experience as a member of UAW Local 2110\u2019s bargaining committee to her run for Congress.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m bringing the deep belief in a strong and vibrant labor movement and that being the basis of what grows political power,\u201d Valdez said.\n<\/p>\n

Fain, meanwhile, said Valdez\u2019s relative lack of experience in politics should not count against her in the race. The Queens Assembly Member has held elected office for roughly a year, while Reynoso\u2019s career in city politics spans more than a decade, including a stint in the City Council and a term as Brooklyn borough president.<\/p>\n

Fain, however, said there are a number of elected officials in Congress with decades of experience but a poor track record of passing legislation that aids working-class communities.
\n\"UAWUAW President Shawn Fain also spoke at the event. Photo by Shane O\u2019Brien.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat has the experience of millionaires and billionaires on Capitol Hill done for working-class people? Has it made our health care and housing affordable? Have our wages gotten better? Hell no,\u201d Fain said.<\/p>\n

Launching her campaign on Thursday, Valdez said there was little question that Democrats would win a majority in the 7th Congressional District but said questions remain over what they \u201cdo with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need a labor organizer in Washington who will turn Democratic power into a real opposition\u2014one that confronts oligarchy and fascism, opposes genocide and war, and offers a real economic agenda that empowers working people and expands social rights,\u201d Valdez said in a statement announcing her run for Congress.<\/p>\n

Mamdani, meanwhile, said he needed a \u201cpartner\u201d like Valdez in Washington, adding that the Queens Assembly Member would lead the fight for a \u201ccity people can afford.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cOur city needs someone with her organizing instincts and moral clarity to fight for a future where everyone can live with dignity,\u201d Mamdani said.
\n\"MamdaniMamdani and Valdez embrace at the event. Photo by Shane O\u2019Brien.\n<\/p>\n

Reynoso told the New York Times<\/a> when he launched his campaign in early December that he was running for office to curb the threat of federal immigration enforcement and to \u201cdecorporatize\u201d the Democratic Party. Reynoso, who represented the 34th Council District in Brooklyn between 2014 and 2021, also signaled his intentions to push the party to the left. As Brooklyn Borough President, he has largely focused on equitable development and public health.<\/p>\n

Reynoso, a progressive member of the Democratic Party, is now set for a showdown with Valdez, who represents a farther-left section of the party strengthened by Mamdani\u2019s victory last year. The DSA, emboldened by Mamdani\u2019s victory, has endorsed candidates in a wide range of races in Western Queens following Mamdani\u2019s success. Although the party has not yet endorsed in the NY-7 race, it is widely expected to choose Valdez, a staunch Mamdani ally who is ideologically aligned with the DSA.<\/p>\n

Valdez said she has held conversations with Vel\u00e1zquez since the veteran lawmaker announced her retirement last November, adding that she has the \u201cworld of respect\u201d for Vel\u00e1zquez\u2019s term in office.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s a true champion for working-class people and stands head and shoulders above so many of her colleagues,\u201d Valdez said. \u201cI\u2019d be proud to stand in her shoes and carry on her legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

She touted Vel\u00e1zquez\u2019s \u201cmoral courage\u201d throughout her career in politics, pointing to her efforts to stand up for Puerto Rican self-determination and taking \u201cdifficult positions\u201d in anti-colonial struggles.<\/p>\n

Vel\u00e1zquez has yet to endorse in the race, but several outlets have reported that she is expected to endorse Reynoso. Vel\u00e1zquez\u2019s office did not return a request for comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the United Auto Workers (UAW) have endorsed Assembly Member Claire Valdez in the race…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":419674,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5122],"tags":[170681,5229,15845,226167,226168,221265,405,403,5226,5225,5228,226169,5227,226170,226171,226172,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,5301],"class_list":{"0":"post-504722","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-7th-congressional-district","9":"tag-america","10":"tag-antonio-reynoso","11":"tag-assembly-member-claire-valdez","12":"tag-congressmember-nydia-velazquez","13":"tag-mayor-zohran-mamdani","14":"tag-new-york","15":"tag-new-york-city","16":"tag-newyork","17":"tag-newyorkcity","18":"tag-ny","19":"tag-ny-7","20":"tag-nyc","21":"tag-shawn-fain","22":"tag-uaw","23":"tag-uaw-president-shawn-fain","24":"tag-united-states","25":"tag-united-states-of-america","26":"tag-unitedstates","27":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","28":"tag-us","29":"tag-usa","30":"tag-zohran-mamdani"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115867508088500529","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=504722"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504722\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/419674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=504722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=504722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=504722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}