2026 Elections and Campaigns

New York Assemblymember and self-described democratic socialist Claire Valdez has launched a campaign for Congress in New York’s 7th District, seeking to succeed retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez in a June 2026 Democratic primary. An ally of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and a former union organizer, Valdez is running on a platform that includes abolishing ICE, passing Medicare for All funded by higher taxes on billionaires and corporations, and treating housing as a human right, joining Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in the race for the open seat.