Assembly District 34 candidate Andreas Migias has dropped out of the race to succeed outgoing Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas, leaving Brian Romero as the last remaining candidate to replace his former boss.
Migias, a member of Community Board 1, announced his withdrawal in a social media post on Tuesday, stating that he no longer sees a path to victory in the race against Romero, who has received a number of key endorsements from local elected officials.
Migias also announced Tuesday that he is endorsing Romero for the seat.
Aber Kawas, a previous candidate for the 34th Assembly District, withdrew from the race earlier in February after announcing a campaign to succeed State Sen. Michael Gianaris in the 12th Senate District. Kawas, a Palestinian-American organizer, had been endorsed by the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) before pivoting to the 12th Senate District.
However, Romero had picked up a number of key endorsements prior to Kawas’s withdrawal, with U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez making the surprise decision to endorse Romero over a DSA-backed candidate earlier in February.
Romero, who previously served as González-Rojas’s chief of staff, also picked up endorsements from his old boss in addition to endorsements from Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, Council Member Julie Won and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. González-Rojas, meanwhile, has launched a bid to primary State Sen. Jessica Ramos in Senate District 13.
Migias, announcing his endorsement of Romero’s campaign on Tuesday, touted Romero’s lived experience in the district as a key reason for his endorsement. He added that Romero has “dedicated his entire life” to improving the local community.
“When we spoke last week, we discussed our shared concerns for the rising costs of healthcare and our mutual support for public education, two of the main issues that inspired me to run for office,” Migias said in a statement. “I am confident that Brian will fight for important issues like these when he is elected.”
Romero welcomed Migias’s endorsement, describing his former opponent as a “dedicated” member of the local community.
“I’m proud to welcome the endorsement of Andreas Migias in my race for State Assembly following his decision to withdraw from the race,” Romero said in a statement. “Andreas has been a dedicated voice and member on Queens Community Board 1, and as someone who has also served on CB1, I am grateful to have his support as we continue building a campaign rooted in service to our neighborhoods.”
