Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.
Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso
U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan is set to endorse Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso on Thursday in the Democratic primary for New York’s 7th Congressional District, amNewYork has learned.
The Hudson Valley-based Congressman is backing retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez’s preferred successor over Queens Assembly Member Claire Valdez, the candidate supported by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The endorsement adds to Reynoso’s growing list of high-profile backers in the race to replace Velázquez. Reynoso has also secured backing from U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler, New York Attorney General Letitia James, the Working Families Party, Make the Road Action, and, most recently, Citizen Action of New York, a progressive grassroots political organization, which included Reynoso in its latest 2026 slate of candidates.
Mamdani, meanwhile, has lined up behind fellow Valdez, a fellow democratic socialist, along with the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the United Auto Workers.
Though the two candidates share similar positions on many key issues, Reynoso has argued that his more than 10 years in elected office sets him apart in the race to represent a district spanning western Queens and north Brooklyn — an area dubbed the “Commie Corridor” after Mamdani’s dominant showing there in last year’s mayoral race.
Ryan (NY-18) has developed a broader profile as a pragmatic progressive Democrat from a more moderate Hudson Valley district who is willing to elevate progressive voices elsewhere in the state, last week appearing with U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for a town hall in outgoing Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik’s district in the North Country.
He previously backed Mamdani in the general election for mayor but was notably left off the then-mayor-elect’s 100-member elected advisory committee. In the race to replace Velázquez, however, Ryan is siding with the congresswoman — whom he has called “his friend” and a “living legend” — rather than with Mamdani.
“Antonio Reynoso is a fierce fighter for his community and a New Yorker through and through,” Ryan said in a statement to amNewYork. “I can’t think of anyone better to carry on the legacy of my friend, the indomitable Nydia Velázquez, and know he’ll work every day to deliver for the people of NY-07.”
Ryan added that Congress needs “more fighters – more parents, more working people living the same reality as the families we represent.”
Reynoso called the endorsement an honor and praised Ryan as “a fearless voice in Congress for protecting our democracy, defending our freedoms, and standing up to MAGA extremism.”
The split on the city’s left traces back to the fallout from Velázquez’s retirement. After privately discussing possible successors with Mamdani, Velázquez was reportedly caught off guard when he moved to back Valdez, a decision she warned could fracture the left, according to The New York Times. Velázquez then threw her support behind one of her own protégés, Reynoso.
Since becoming mayor, Mamdani has moved quickly to turn his political capital into a broader endorsement operation. He previously endorsed Diana Moreno, his handpicked successor in Queens, in the special election to replace him in the Assembly — a race she went on to win. Mamdani’s involvement in the race NY-7 has gone beyond a standard endorsement. As City & State noted on Wednesday, he has boosted Valdez both on and off the campaign trail – appearing with her publicly, joining a fundraising appeal and lending her close political advisers.
Reynoso and Valdez are also facing off against Council Member Julie Won in the Democratic primary. Won officially launched her campaign last weekk and is seeking to become the first Korean-American ever elected to Congress in New York State. Council Member Shanel Thomas-Henry, State Sen. John Liu, and Assembly Member Ron Kim provided Won with the first major endorsements of her campaign.