Queens Borough President Donovan Richards has endorsed Assembly District 34 candidate Brian Romero in the race to succeed Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas.
Romero, who previously served as González-Rojas’ chief-of-staff before joining state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, announced last year that he would run to replace his former boss in a district covering parts of East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Woodside, Corona and Astoria.
Aber Kawas, a Palestinian-American organizer backed by the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), has also filed to run for the seat, as has Community Board 1 member Andreas Migias.
Richards became the latest elected official to endorse Romero on Jan. 20, pointing to his efforts fighting for the working-class in the community.
Romero, who was born in East Elmhurst in the district before moving to nearby Assembly District 36, was appointed to Community Board 1 by Richards in 2021. The pair have also worked together during Romero’s time as a staffer in the state Legislature.
“Whether expanding access to health care, advocating for immigrant families, or delivering real results on housing and food security, Brian leads with both compassion and grit,” Richards said in a statement. “Queens deserves leaders who understand our challenges and fight for our future. Brian Romero is exactly that leader.”
Romero welcomed Richards’ endorsement, describing the Borough President as a “fearless leader” in Queens.
“I’m deeply honored to earn his endorsement,” Romero said. “Together, we’ve stood up for immigrants, defended our street vendors, and fought for LGBTQ+ families when it mattered most.”
González-Rojas, who is running to primary State Sen. Jessica Ramos in the overlapping 13th Senate District, endorsed Romero in December shortly after he announced his campaign, while U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez, Assembly Members Catalina Cruz and Steven Raga and Council Member Julie Won have also endorsed his campaign.
The Working Families Party (WFP) has also endorsed Romero in the race, but the DSA voted last year to endorse Kawas, who moved to the district from Brooklyn in 2024. Romero had also applied for the DSA endorsement.
The race for the 34th Assembly District, like many others in western Queens, pits a DSA-backed candidate against a traditional progressive candidate. Romero and Kawas share a number of near-identical ideologies, including vows to fight for immigrant communities and tax the rich policies.
Kawas, however, is a movement socialist committed to joining the DSA’s State Socialists in Office group if she is elected, an organized committee that keeps elected DSA members in line in Albany.
Aiming to build on Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s historic election victory last year, the DSA tapped up a number of candidates to run in progressive districts. Kawas told City & State last year that she decided to run for office after being approached by the organization.
