New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and democratic socialists are seeking to win at least three congressional nominations on Tuesday, including two that challenge Hispanic leadership in the city. Mamdani has endorsed Claire Valdez against Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez's candidate, Antonio Reynoso, in the 7th district. He also supports Darializa Ávila Chevalier, who is running against Congressman Adriano Espaillat in the 13th district.
Espaillat, the first Dominican to hold a congressional seat, has been in office for a decade and is the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Mamdani's candidates face the challenge of mobilizing young and liberal voters. According to Professor Carlos Vargas Ramos of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, early voting participation appears low.
Reynoso, considered a progressive, has received public support from Velázquez and Puerto Rican diaspora groups. Both Reynoso and Valdez largely support Velázquez's agenda for Puerto Rico, which she will leave behind when she retires from the House of Representatives at the end of the 119th Congress.