Jumaane Williams endorses Antonio Reynoso for Velazquez seat
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso won the endorsement of Public Advocate Jumaane Williams on Tuesday in the race for the congressional seat left open by the impending retirement of Rep. Nydia Velazquez, the Daily News has learned.
“Antonio has been a trusted ally of mine and the entire progressive movement, and he knows how to deliver on his promises,” Williams said in a statement confirming Reynoso’s opposition to outgoing Mayor Adams and the ex-governor. Andrew Cuomo. “He is extremely ready to carry on Velazquez’s legacy.”
The endorsement could give Reynoso a big boost with left-leaning voters in what is expected to be a wide-open Democratic primary fight in the heavily Latino district that stretches from western Queens to northern Brooklyn.
Reynoso said he was “deeply honored to have the support of this progressive champion.”
“We will work tirelessly to ensure the voices of the people of New York’s 7th Congressional District are heard as we hold Trump and Republicans accountable for terrorizing our communities with ICE while giving tax breaks to billionaires,” he said.
Reynoso, who is in his second term as Brooklyn borough president, is the only major candidate to jump into the ring for the seat Velazquez has held for more than three decades.
The son of Dominican immigrants from Williamsburg, Reynoso has gathered support from establishment figures in the NY-07 district, but he will likely need to strengthen his left wing to win.
Williams is popular with progressives and ran losing insurgent races for lieutenant governor in 2018 and governor in 2022, but he is from East New York, relatively far from the NY-07 district.
Assemblywoman Claire Valdez and City Councilwoman Tiffany Caban are among the most prominent local officials reportedly considering entering the race. State Sen. Julia Salazar announced she would not run.
Valdez and Caban, both Puerto Rican, could vie for support from the Democratic Socialists of America, which would carry significant weight in one of the bluest districts in the country.
The backers who will carry the most weight in the race will be those of Velazquez herself, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, as well as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents a neighboring congressional district.
Velazquez, 72, plans to serve out the remainder of her 16th term but says she will not run for re-election in 2026. Affectionately known as “La Luchadora,” or the fighter, the trailblazing lawmaker was the first Puerto Rican-born woman to serve in Congress.
