In a final debate before the start of early voting, candidates for the upcoming special election to replace Mayor Zohran Mamdani in the 36th Assembly District presented an almost united front on a range of policy issues, from taxing the rich to protecting immigrant communities.
Diana Moreno, the Queens Democratic Party nominee, joined Mary Jobaida and Rana Abdelhamid — two progressive candidates who will appear on the ballot after collecting the required number of signatures — at the Hellenic Cultural Center in Astoria for a debate hosted by the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association on Jan. 22. The debate proved to be one of the more mild-mannered electoral forums, with all three candidates agreeing on a number of issues and engaging in civilized discussion free from personal attacks.
But Moreno, as an organizer within the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), did differentiate herself from her fellow candidates by continuously emphasizing that she is running as a movement socialist within an organized movement rather than as an individual candidate.
Throughout the debate, Moreno emphasized her close ties to Mamdani and other elected DSA members in office, such as Assembly Member Emily Gallagher and State Sen. Julia Salazar, who are part of the New York State Socialists in Office voting bloc.
Abdelhamid and Jobaida, on the other hand, who are also members of the DSA, spoke more of how their politics were informed by individual experiences within the community.
Moreno, who won the DSA endorsement last month, pledged to be an “unwavering ally” to Mamdani if she is elected to office in the Feb. 3 special elections, adding that she is part of the “same working-class movement” that elected Mamdani to City Hall last November.
“I am not running as an individual. I am running as part of a movement,” Moreno said at the debate
Moreno also emphasized her ties to organized labor through her previous work with the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) and added that she had chosen to run to protect the future of her child, who she is raising in Astoria, as well as the futures of all Queens children.
Abdelhamid and Jobaida, on the other hand, continuously emphasized their roots in the district, with Abdelhamid pointing to her role as a community organizer and non-profit director for almost two decades. Abdelhamid, the founder of anti-violence non-profit Malikah, said she has seen first hand the problems facing tenants, businesses and immigrant communities in the neighborhood over the last 17 years. In an interview with QNS earlier in the week, Abdelhamid emphasized that she came to politics through her individual experiences growing up in western Queens rather than through any political movement.
“As a self-defense instructor, as a mutual aid organizer, as a tenants rights leader, as an immigrant justice organizer, this is a community that I’ve been deeply invested in,” Abdelhamid said at the debate.
Jobaida, a Bangladeshi immigrant living in Queensbridge Houses, said her campaign represented the communities that are “not seen” regardless of who is in office.
“It has been like this for a long time,” she said. “Our people are the people who are delivery workers, construction workers, immigrants. Oftentimes, we feel like we are judged by our language, our backgrounds, our accent, how we talk, how we look, what clothing we wear, instead of who we are.”
In terms of actual policy, all three candidates presented a near-identical vision for the future of the district. Each stated their support for a 2% tax hike on individuals making over $1 million and all supported the increase of New York’s corporate tax rate to match that of New Jersey. They also pledged to fight for New York for All, which would prohibit state and local law enforcement from working with federal immigration authorities, and expressed support for free buses, one of Mamdani’s core campaign issues.
All three candidates stated their support for a swath of tenant protections, including Right to Counsel, investments in NYCHA and social housing, and rent-stabilization. They also vowed to fight for commercial rent-stabilization to help keep small businesses in the district and push for universal childcare, another of Mamdani’s core campaign platforms.
Moreno, who is cut from the same political cloth as the mayor, consistently referred to legislation proposed by elected DSA members in Albany throughout the debate, while Abdelhamid and Jobaida often proposed individual progressive legislation.
With little to separate the three candidates politically, Moreno holds an advantage ahead of the Feb. 3 special election as the Queens Democratic Party nominee, especially after coming through Thursday’s debate without any missteps. Moreno has also picked up endorsements from a number of elected officials, including Mamdani himself, while groups such as the DSA and Working Families Party have also endorsed her campaign.
U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez and Council Member Julie Won, meanwhile, have endorsed Abdelhamid.
On Jan. 21, the Mason Tenders District Council, which represents over 17,000 members in the construction and waste management industries among other fields, endorsed Moreno ahead of the special election. Announcing its endorsement, the union pointed to Moreno’s roots standing with organized labor throughout her career.
Abdelhamid does boast significant name recognition in the district through her work with Malikah and her work running mutual aid assistance in the neighborhood, while Jobaida boasts significant support from the strong Bangladeshi community in Queensbridge Houses.
Moreno, however, was also the only candidate to unlock matching funds in the race after receiving 162 donations from in-district donors compared to Abdelhamid’s 90 and Jobaida’s 42. Moreno unlocked $76,017 in matching funds after the Public Campaign Finance Board’s latest decision to approve matching funds on Jan. 21.
Early voting for the upcoming special election kicks off on Saturday, Jan. 24, with the election set to take place on Feb. 3. Whoever wins the special election will hold office until the end of Mamdani’s term and will still be required to win re-election in the upcoming June primaries and November general election.
