In response to the latest PIX11/Emerson College/The Hill poll on Thursday, May 21, reportedly showing 43% of NY-7 Democratic voters remain undecided ahead of the June 23rd Democratic primary, congressional contender Vichal Kumar noted this demographic could shift the results for a candidate who offers more than standard campaign promises.

“With five weeks to go, this race is being decided by the 43% of voters who are still listening. That’s the majority. Voters in NY-7 right now don’t need another politician promising things,” said Kumar. “They need a builder who’s already done the work. Someone who’s created the institutions, scaled the solutions, and shown up at kitchen tables when government failed.”

“I’ve been doing that for 20 years. We’re meeting voters where they are, at their doors, at their subway stops, in their faith communities, and at forums like the one we did last night in Sunnyside,” added Kumar. “Polls measure name recognition. Elections measure who shows up. We’re running to earn every vote.”

The PIX11/Emerson College/The Hill poll revealed that the Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-backed candidate Claire Valdez is at 23%, followed by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso at 21%, with Council Member Julie Won trailing behind at 13%.

The latest PIX11/Emerson College/The Hill poll as of Thursday, May 21. Photo via PIX11 News

Kumar, a public defender, joined the roster of NY-7 district candidates in March — an area that covers sections of Queens and Brooklyn, including Ridgewood, Maspeth, Woodhaven, Sunnyside, Astoria and Long Island City. Since then, he has participated in a number of candidate forums, including the Ridgewood Democratic Club forum on April 26, the Ridgewood Property Owners and Civic Association forum on May 7 and the Sunnyside Community Services (SCS) forum on May 20.

The current race for the congressional seat follows U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez‘s decision to retire after 33 years in public service.

According to a press release, Kumar has spent 20 years representing immigrants in detention, renters, and the working class. He recently personally advised a Northwest Bronx father of five who was detained during an ICE crackdown in February and released earlier this month. In the Norwood News article, Durga Sreenivasan of Hands Off NYC described Kumar as “particularly helpful,” noting that he was eager to perform pro bono work “within 24 hours” after she sought a lawyer on social media platforms.

During the SCS forum on Wednesday, May 20, Kumar discussed “the failure of our leaders and government to deliver for seniors, immigrant families, public housing tenants, and working New Yorkers across the district,” as stated in a press release. After the forum, a SCS older adult resident was said to have approached the candidate to share that she was “energized” by the conversation and to remind him that the district’s older adults “vote and mobilize their neighbors every day.”

“She’s exactly the voter this race is about,” noted Kumar. “She shows up for her community every day. She deserves a representative who’s been doing the same and that’s what I’ve been doing for 20 years. We’re not going anywhere.”

The Kumar campaign has been building a coalition across NY-7’s South Asian, immigrant, NYCHA, working-class, and faith communities, alongside change voters across the district searching beyond the political establishment, canvassing daily at subway stops and organizing through community institutions prior to the Democratic primary on Tuesday, June 23.