Queens is set to be home to a number of fascinating political races in 2026 as a number of long-term incumbents face challenges from young and emerging politicians in the borough’s political scene.
A number of vacant seats in the state legislature and federal government have also sparked highly competitive races in several progressive districts across the borough, not least for the Assembly District 36 seat vacated by Mayor-elect Zohran Mamani in Western Queens.
Mamdani’s election to City Hall has prompted several members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) to announce campaigns to replace him next year.
Similarly, long-term U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez’s decision to retire after 33 years in Congress is set to spark a hugely competitive race to replace her in the 7th Congressional District in Queens and North Brooklyn.
But there are plenty of races outside of Western Queens that could have an impact on the political landscape of the borough in 2026. Here are eight races to watch in the New Year.
7th Congressional District: Velázquez retirement leaves door ajar in one of New York’s most progressive Congressional Districts
When U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez announced in November that she would not seek a 17th term in office next year, it opened the door to one of the most progressive congressional districts in the city, which includes neighborhoods such as Long Island City, Sunnyside, Greenpoint and Bushwick.
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso has already announced his candidacy for the seat, while the DSA is anticipated to nominate a candidate in the new year. City Council Member Tiffany Cabán and Assembly Member Claire Valdez are both expected to apply for the DSA endrosement, according to City & State, with Valdez anticipated to receive the endorsement.
Reynoso has already received a number of endorsement since announcing his candidacy, with Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Council Members Shekar Krishnan, Lincoln Restler, Crystal Hudson, Sandy Nurse and Jennifer Gutiérrez all backing the Brooklyn Borough President.
The DSA candidate, however, would likely pick up support from figures such as Mamdani and Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Senate District 11: Stavisky faces challenge from Mamdani volunteer
State Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky saw off a challenge from Republican candidate Yiatin Chu in 2024 and looks set to face another challenge next year – this time in the Democratic Primary.
Stavisky has represented the 11th Senate District since 1999, when she succeeded her husband Leonard, who died in office. Leonard Stavisky had represented the district for 16 years.
Sean Henry Miller, a member of the Queens County Young Democrats, has filed to run against Stavisky in the primaries next year. Miller is currently vice president for political affairs for the Queens County Young Democrats and volunteered for Mamdani during his mayoral campaign in 2025.
In a statement issued to the Queens Daily Eagle, Miller has touted a need for “fresh leadership” in the district.
Miller, the first Democrat to primary Stavisky since 2014, vowed to advocate for working-class constituents, including teachers, healthcare workers and students.
Stavisky, the first woman to chair the Senate’s Committee on Higher Education, has passed legislatoin to increase access to higher education during her term in Albany as well as sponsoring legislation to provide healthcare to undocumented New York City residents.
Senate District 13: González-Rojas launches primary campaign to face off against Ramos
Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas filed in July to run against incumbent state Sen. Jessica Ramos.
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 U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nydia Velázquez endorsed her in November.
Ramos, a former candidate for mayor, placed ninth 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.
Ramos, who has represented the 13th Senate District since 2019, has championed a number of pro-worker measures as chair of the Senate’s Labor Committee, including bills that crack down on wage theft and index minimum wage to inflation. Ramos has also supported efforts to decriminalize sex work and protect immigrant communities.
Ramos was a vocal opponent of the Metropolitan Park casino bid, which recently received a license from the State’s Gaming Commission. González-Rojas supported the bid.
González-Rojas, meanwhile, has supported continuous healthcare coverage for children aged 0-6 during her time in the State Assembly and was a prime sponsor of the Universal School Meals Act.
Assembly District 23: Several candidates bid to replace Pheffer Amato
While Mamdani’s vacant seat has triggered a race between some of the most progressive candidates in the city, Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato’s retirement is set to trigger a far more conservative race in the 23rd Assembly District in Eastern Queens.
Pheffer Amato, a Democrat who will retire after 10 years in office next year, has represented a moderate and conservative district including parts of the Rockaway Peninsula, Ozone Park and Long Island.
Pheffer Amato marginally defeated Republican candidate and Army veteran Thomas Sullivan in both 2022 and 2024, winning the 2022 election by only 15 votes.
Sullivan has not yet officially announced his candidacy, but local outlet the Wave has reported that the Republican candidate plans to run again in 2026.
Pesach Osina, a member of the Jewish Community Council who has as the Queens commissioner for the NYC Commission on Racial Equality for the Adams Administration, and Mike Scala, a Howard Beach attorney who served as vice president Queens Public Transit Committee, have both filed to run in the Democratic primary, according to the Wave.
Assembly District 24: David Weprin faces challenge from “Gen Z” candidate
The Weprin family has been a political institution in the 24th Assembly District for decades, with incumbent Assembly Member David Weprin holding the seat since 2010. Weprin replaced his brother Mark, who held the seat for 15 years before running for the City Council, while their father Saul also held the seat for 23 years.
Mahtab Khan, a 28-year-old Muslim activist and self-described “Gen Z candidate,” has filed to primary Weprin next year.
Weprin was not challenged in 2024 and easily defeated both Albert Baldeo and Mizanur Choudhury in the 2022 Democratic Primary.
However, Khan, an organizer with Muslims for Progress will hope to capitalize on Mamdani’s victory in the 2025 mayoral election. Weprin strongly opposed Mamdani’s candidacy, even leading an anti-Mamdani press conference outside City Hall last summer. Mamdani won Weprin’s district by five points in the general election in November.
Assembly District 34: Progressive candidates bid to replace González-Rojas
With González-Rojas launching her bid to primary Ramos in the State Senate, a number of progressive candidates have launched bids to replace her in Assembly District 34, which includes parts of East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Woodside, Corona and Astoria.
Brian Romero, González-Rojas’s former chief-of-staff who currently serves as deputy chief-of-staff to State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, has launched his campaign for the seat, as has Aber Kawas, a Palestinian-American organizer who moved to the district from Southern Brooklyn in 2024.
Andreas Migias, who currently serves on Community Board 1, has also announced his candidacy for the seat.
The DSA has officially endorsed Kawas, while Romero has secured a number of endorsements from key local figures, including González-Rojas, Assembly Member Catalina Cruz and former Council Member Danny Dromm.
Assembly District 36: Progressive candidates eye Mamdani’s vacant seat
Mamdani’s election to City Hall has left a seat vacant in one of the most progressive Assembly districts in the city.
Forming the northern tip of what has been dubbed the “Commie Corridor,” the district includes progressive neighborhoods such as Astoria, Long Island City and Astoria Heights and has been referred to as “the People’s Republic of Astoria.”
Rana Abdelhamid, a prominent community organizer in western Queens who currently serves as executive director of anti-violence nonprofit Malika, has launched her campaign to replace Mamdani in the district.
Diana Moreno, former co-chair of the Queens chapter of the DSA, also launched her campaign in November and received 96% of the vote at a recent DSA endorsement forum before receiving the official DSA endorsement. Abdelhamid had also sought the DSA endorsement.
Mary Jobaiba, another DSA member, has also filed to run for the seat.
Mamdani formally endorsed Moreno in the race at a rally in Astoria earlier in December
Moreno, however, is unlikely to scoop a nomination from the Queens Democratic Party for a Feb. 3 special election to replace Mamdani for the remainder of his term, with the Democratic machine unlikely to select a DSA candidate.
If Moreno cannot obtain a nomination from the Working Families Party or the Queens Democratic Party, she will be forced to wait until June to run in the Democratic primaries.
Assembly District 38: Rajkumar faces primary challenge from DSA candidate
The DSA is aiming to oust moderate Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar in 2026, with David Orkin receiving the NYC-DSA endorsement on Dec. 23.
Orkin, a staff attorney with immigration non-profit Make the Road, will attempt to take advantage of Mamdani’s victory in the mayoral election in a district where Mamdani triumphed over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo by 40 points in the Democratic primary.
Mamdani and Rajkumar have clashed in the past, with Rajkumar criticizing Mamdani for strongly criticizing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023. Rajkumar accused Mamdani of using “extreme, divisive language” about world leaders.
Mamdani, meanwhile, previously slammed Rajkumar for accepting donations from “Hindu fascists” in 2020 after Rajkumar allegedly accepted donations from pro-Modi donors. Mamdani has repeatedly criticized the Indian Prime Minister for allegedly facilitating violence against Muslim Indians.
Orkin will seek to capitalize on that fractured relationship to secure Mamdani’s endorsement and oust Rajkumar in District 38.
