\n
![\"antonio](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/30936397598_31f0a2b88c_k.jpg\")
Reynoso chairing a City Council hearing in 2018. The Borough President has been endorsed by WFP several times since the start of his political career. Photo courtesy of John McCarten\/NYC Council Media Unit\n<\/p>\nThe progressive Working Families Party on Monday endorsed Antonio Reynoso in the hotly-contested Democratic primary in New York\u2019s 7th Congressional district.<\/p>\n
In one of New York City\u2019s most left-leaning districts, Reynoso is running against Assembly Member Claire Valdez and Council Member Julie Won \u2014 both from Queens \u2014 to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez, who is retiring this year after three decades in Congress.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are unprecedented times and Antonio is the best candidate to fight for working families in Washington D.C. and build a movement strong enough to defeat the forces of authoritarianism,\u201d said WFP state director Jasmine Gripper, in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Reynoso is \u201cdeeply trusted by our movement,\u201d Gripper added.\u00a0
\nReynoso chairing a City Council hearing in 2018. The Borough President has been endorsed by WFP several times since the start of his political career. Photo courtesy of John McCarten\/NYC Council Media Unit\n<\/p>\n
He was first endorsed by the WFP while running for City Council in 2013, and has enjoyed the party\u2019s support for his subsequent re-election campaign and election and re-election for Borough President.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince my time as an organizer and from the beginning of my time in public office, we have worked together on critical issues for working families in this city like affordable housing, universal childcare and supporting our immigrant communities,\u201d Reynoso said in a statement. \u201cTogether, we will take our fight to Washington, stand up for Brooklyn and Queens, hold the line against Donald Trump and deliver real wins for the working class.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reynoso is endorsed<\/a> by Vel\u00e1zquez herself and by a number of progressive politicians, including Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Brooklyn City Council members Lincoln Restler, Sandy Nurse, Crystal Hudson, and Jennifer Guti\u00e9rrez.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The Working Families Party is fairly influential<\/a> in Brooklyn \u2014 many of the borough\u2019s progressive pols have run on both the Democratic and WFP lines and enjoyed significant support from WFP voters \u2014 and the endorsement is likely to be a boon for his campaign.\u00a0<\/p>\n It also marked a split between the Working Families Party and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and between progressive Democrats in New York City. The WFP endorsed Mamdani for mayor and helped propel him to victory, and he has said he voted for himself on the WFP line, not the Democratic party line.\u00a0<\/p>\n But the mayor has endorsed Valdez<\/a>, a fellow member of the Democratic Socialists of America, in NY-7.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mamdani urged WFP leaders to support Valdez, according to the New York Times<\/a> and Politico<\/a>, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Some of the party\u2019s individual members were reportedly in favor<\/a> of endorsing Valdez, but many of the unions and advocacy groups involved in the party pushed for Reynoso.\u00a0<\/p>\n Asked about the endorsement at an unrelated press conference on Tuesday<\/a>, Mamdani said he was \u201cheartened by the fact that WFP chapter members voted for Claire Valdez.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe is an incredible Assembly member and someone I\u2019m so excited to be supporting, and I look forward to her being elected as the next congressperson to represent that district,\u201d he said. \u201cI think that she possesses within her a unique ability of bringing forward the exact things that have been missing from our politics for far too long.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Though the WFP and Mamdani are in agreement on some candidates in races across the city, the party opted to endorse Brian Romero in the race for Queens Assembly District 34<\/a>, where Mamdani and the DSA had thrown their support behind Aber Kawas. Kawas has since ended her Assembly campaign and will instead run for state Senate<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Restler, who endorsed Reynoso immediately after his campaign was launched, told Brooklyn Paper<\/a> last month that the mayor\u2019s endorsements had created some friction.<\/p>\n \u201cThere have been some early bumps with how the mayor and his team have approached endorsements in different races,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I hope that that doesn\u2019t overshadow the critical work of governing and delivering for our shared constituents.\u201d<\/p>\n Vel\u00e1zquez \u2014 who strongly supported Mamdani as a mayoral candidate \u2014 has criticized the mayor for taking a stance on the primary.\u00a0![\"mamdani](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2025-11-04T191548Z_525395376_RC2UPHA3QKEW_RTRMADP_3_USA-ELECTION-NEW-YORK-MAYOR.webp.jpeg\")
Mamdani (bottom left) poses with Vel\u00e1zquez (second row, second from right) and Working Families Party voters in Clinton Hill on Election Day 2025. REUTERS\/Kylie Cooper<\/p>\n![\"assembly](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GgzyodTXQAAoOIQ.jpg\")
Assembly Member Claire Valdez of Queens, who is endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. File photo courtesy of Assembly Member Claire Valdez\/X<\/p>\n
\n![\"reynoso](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_1067.jpg\")
Vel\u00e1zquez (center left) with Reynoso at a campaign rally last month. Photo courtesy of Antonio Reynoso for Congress\n<\/p>\n