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U.S. Rep. Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez has endorsed Brian Romero in the 34th Assembly District. Photo via Brian Romero. <\/p>\n
U.S. Rep. Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez has endorsed Rana Abdelhamid<\/a> and Brian Romero<\/a> in two western Queens Assembly races, opting against endorsing prominent Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) candidates in both races.<\/p>\n Abdelhamid, who is running to succeed Mayor Zohran Mamdani in the 36th Assembly District, and Romero, who is running to succeed his former boss, Assembly Member Jessica Gonz\u00e1lez-Rojas, in the 34th District, both picked up endorsements from Vel\u00e1zquez during the week.<\/p>\n Romero, who previously served as Gonz\u00e1lez-Rojas\u2019s chief-of-staff, is running against the DSA-backed Aber Kawas, a Palestinian-American organizer who moved to the district in 2024. Local community board member Andreas Migias has also filed to run for the seat.<\/p>\n Abdelhamid, on the other hand, is running against the DSA-backed Diana Moreno and fellow candidate Mary Jobaida in a special election to succeed Mamdani on Feb. 3. Moreno is the clear frontrunner in the race after both the Queens Democratic Party and Mamdani himself also backed her for the seat.<\/p>\n However, Vel\u00e1zquez has opted to endorse Abdelhamid, a DSA member and a prominent community organizer with non-profit Malikah.\n<\/p>\n Announcing her endorsement Wednesday, Vel\u00e1zquez described Abdelhamid as the \u201cbest of Queens,\u201d pointing to her efforts to fight for immigrant families and working-class residents.\n<\/p>\n \u201cShe doesn\u2019t just talk about justice, she builds it every day through mutual aid, community safety and collective care,\u201d Vel\u00e1zquez said in a statement. \u201cHer work has always centered dignity, safety, and economic justice, especially for immigrant women and communities too often left out of the political process. District 36 deserves a leader who understands the struggles people face because she has lived them and organized alongside them.\u201d<\/p>\n Early Thursday morning, less than a day after endorsing Abdelhamid, Vel\u00e1zquez announced her support for Romero in the 34th District, crediting Romero for \u201cconsistently showing up\u201d for the district, which includes parts of Astoria, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Corona.<\/p>\n \u201cHis work to protect immigrants, uplift LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, and defend street vendors and small businesses demonstrates the kind of bold, values-driven leadership we need in Albany,\u201d Vel\u00e1zquez said.<\/p>\n Romero has received endorsements from a number of other elected officials in the race, including Gonz\u00e1lez-Rojas and Assembly Members Steven Raga and Catalina Cruz. Council Member Julie Won and Make the Road Action, the political arm of immigrant non-profit Make the Road New York, have also endorsed Romero in the race. Won also recently endorsed Abdelhamid in the 36th District.<\/p>\n Kawas, on the other hand, was endorsed by the DSA after 64% of the organization\u2019s Queens branch voted to endorse her last month. Romero had also sought the party\u2019s endorsement, winning 29% of the vote<\/a>.<\/p>\n