U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nydia Velázquez have both endorsed Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas in her bid for state Senate District 13 next year.
González-Rojas filed in July to run against incumbent State Sen. Jessica Ramos in the Democratic primary for Senate District 13 next June, stating that she would deliver “bold, values-driven leadership” to communities in Corona, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights.
González-Rojas, who currently represents Assembly District 34 including parts of Elmhurst, Corona and Jackson Heights, which partially overlaps with Ramos’s Senate district, has picked up a number of high-profile endorsements since officially announcing her campaign for the State Senate over the summer.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Assembly Members Catalina Cruz, Steve Raga, Claire Valdez and Phara Souffrant Forrest all immediately backed González-Rojas in the race, while Make the Road Action – a non-profit affiliated with immigrant rights’ group Make the Road – endorsed her in September.
González-Rojas has now picked up two key, high-profile endorsements from Ocasio-Cortez and Velázquez, two prominent and progressive members of New York’s Democratic delegation in Congress.
Ocasio-Cortez touted González-Rojas’s history of fighting for the local community as a key reason for her endorsement.
“We need a fighter in Albany who won’t flinch when it comes to standing up for New Yorkers, and for the future of Queens,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement. “(She) has already proven she’s that leader — bold, unafraid, and rooted in our community.”
Velázquez similarly pointed to González-Rojas’s advocacy for the local community as a reason for her endorsement.
“As a legislator, Jessica González-Rojas has fiercely fought for her community, and as a leader, she has made strides in transforming the way politics are done,” Velázquez said in a statement.
González-Rojas welcomed the endorsements, describing Ocasio-Cortez and Velázquez as “two trailblazing Latinas who have long championed working families and an equitable borough.
“We are fighting for the rights and lives of all New Yorkers,” she said in a statement welcoming both endorsements. “With the partnership of Congress Members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nydia Velázquez, I know we have the power, intelligence and drive to push through at every level to protect the rights of our neighbors and deliver real results.”
González-Rojas announced her candidacy for Senate District 13 in July after weeks of speculation that she would file to challenge Ramos in the district.
Ramos, a former candidate for mayor, placed seventh in the Democratic mayoral primary after making a controversial last-minute decision to endorse fellow candidate Andrew Cuomo. That decision appeared to alienate Ramos’ progressive base.
On the other hand, González-Rojas, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), endorsed Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani ahead of the June primary.
However, González-Rojas has not been endorsed by the DSA and is not a member of the organization’s nine-member “Socialists in Office” group in Albany. Still, she has consolidated significant progressive support in Queens ahead of next year’s primary.
