U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez has endorsed Rana Abdelhamid and Brian Romero in two western Queens Assembly races, opting against endorsing prominent Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) candidates in both races.
Abdelhamid, who is running to succeed Mayor Zohran Mamdani in the 36th Assembly District, and Romero, who is running to succeed his former boss, Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas, in the 34th District, both picked up endorsements from Velázquez during the week.
Romero, who previously served as González-Rojas’s chief-of-staff, is running against the DSA-backed Aber Kawas, a Palestinian-American organizer who moved to the district in 2024. Local community board member Andreas Migias has also filed to run for the seat.
Abdelhamid, on the other hand, is running against the DSA-backed Diana Moreno and fellow candidate Mary Jobaida in a special election to succeed Mamdani on Feb. 3. Moreno is the clear frontrunner in the race after both the Queens Democratic Party and Mamdani himself also backed her for the seat.
However, Velázquez has opted to endorse Abdelhamid, a DSA member and a prominent community organizer with non-profit Malikah.
Announcing her endorsement Wednesday, Velázquez described Abdelhamid as the “best of Queens,” pointing to her efforts to fight for immigrant families and working-class residents.
“She doesn’t just talk about justice, she builds it every day through mutual aid, community safety and collective care,” Velázquez said in a statement. “Her work has always centered dignity, safety, and economic justice, especially for immigrant women and communities too often left out of the political process. District 36 deserves a leader who understands the struggles people face because she has lived them and organized alongside them.”
Early Thursday morning, less than a day after endorsing Abdelhamid, Velázquez announced her support for Romero in the 34th District, crediting Romero for “consistently showing up” for the district, which includes parts of Astoria, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Corona.
“His work to protect immigrants, uplift LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, and defend street vendors and small businesses demonstrates the kind of bold, values-driven leadership we need in Albany,” Velázquez said.
Romero has received endorsements from a number of other elected officials in the race, including González-Rojas and Assembly Members Steven Raga and Catalina Cruz. Council Member Julie Won and Make the Road Action, the political arm of immigrant non-profit Make the Road New York, have also endorsed Romero in the race. Won also recently endorsed Abdelhamid in the 36th District.
Kawas, on the other hand, was endorsed by the DSA after 64% of the organization’s Queens branch voted to endorse her last month. Romero had also sought the party’s endorsement, winning 29% of the vote.
But Romero’s campaign has received a major boost from Velázquez, who announced last November that she would not seek re-election after 16 terms in office.
The race to succeed Velázquez in the 7th Congressional District, including parts of Queens and Brooklyn, also pits the DSA against a traditional progressive candidate.
Assembly Member Claire Valdez, who currently represents the 37th Assembly District, announced her campaign to run for Velázquez’s seat last week and picked up an endorsement from Mamdani within 24 hours of launching her campaign. Valdez, a DSA member and a movement socialist who has repeatedly called for taxing the rich and improving workers’ rights, is strongly expected to pick up the DSA endorsement in the race.
However, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, a traditional progressive who has also announced his candidacy in the race, has picked up endorsements from Make the Road Action and a number of progressive New York City Council Members.
Velázquez has yet to endorse in the race, but her decision to endorse traditional progressive in adjacent races for the Assembly appear to make it likely that she is leaning toward Reynoso.
