Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso will run for U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez’ congressional seat, he announced Thursday.
Velázquez, a progressive who has represented parts of Brooklyn and Queens in New York’s 7th Congressional District for three decades, announced late last month that she will retire in 2026.
In what’s shaping up to be a heated midterm election in New York, Reynoso is the first person to declare his candidacy for her seat — though Council Member Tiffany Cabán, state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez and Assembly Member Claire Valdez are all said to be actively exploring runs.
In a statement, Reynoso said that the outgoing congresswoman, who he viewed as a “hero and friend” had always been a mentor.
“She is the progressive pioneer who laid the groundwork for an entire generation of new leftist voices at every level of government, and no one can replace her presence,” he said. “But we must continue her fight, and we will continue that fight because the need has never been greater. Under Trump’s cruel administration, working families are suffering while the wealthiest thrive; immigrants and people of color are being attacked, arrested, and erased; our rights are being trampled; and the safety net that families could once depend on is getting callously cut to shreds.”
Reynoso, a left-leaning Democrat and Brooklyn native who has been involved in local politics for more than 15 years, has already proved popular in parts of Velázquez’s district. From 2014 to 2021, he represented the 34th Council district — which covers Bushwick, Ridgewood and Williamsburg — on the City Council. NY-7 includes those neighborhoods as well as Long Island City, Astoria, Sunnyside, Maspeth and Woodhaven in Queens; and Clinton Hill, Downtown Brooklyn, East New York, Fort Greene, and Greenpoint in Brooklyn.
In 2021, Reynoso earned more than 72% of the vote in the Brooklyn Borough President’s race, and was re-elected earlier this year by a slightly wider margin.
As borough president — a role that is largely ceremonial — Reynoso has focused on equitable development and public health.
Shortly after he was elected, Reynoso formed a “Maternal Health Task Force,” to address shortcomings in healthcare for pregnant people and new parents, he has since allocated significant funding to maternal health programs and wards in Brooklyn hospitals, formed a “Community Baby Shower Fund,” and earlier this year helped to create a new Perinatal Mental Health program at Brooklyn College.
He has released two “Comprehensive Plans” for Brooklyn, which seek “to address New York’s lack of a citywide plan and chart Brooklyn’s way to a more equitable future,” through long-term, thorough planning and development.
Born to immigrant parents who were struggling to make ends meet, the Beep rose from childhood poverty in South Williamsburg to a career in public service.
“Let me be clear, I am only here because of that safety net. Full stop,” Reynoso said. “I was born to two immigrant parents struggling to make ends meet, and we needed food stamps, Head Start, and housing assistance to survive. But with those public investments, I was able to grow up, go to college, and build a career fighting for my neighbors on the City Council and now as Borough President. It was not my plan to go into public service, but when the ultrawealthy, special interests and corrupt politicians came for our neighborhood and our homes, I organized and fought back, and we won. That showed me the power of progressive organizing, and it’s exactly the kind of fight we need to bring to Trump’s door today. That is why I am honored and humbled to announce that I am running for Congress.”
He already garnered the endorsement of four members of the City Council whose districts overlap the highly diverse 7th CD: Jen Gutiérrez, Sandy Nurse, Shekar Krishnan and Lincoln Restler.
All praised Reynoso’s proven track record of delivering on his progressive values.
Gutiérrez, his former chief of staff, noted that she had witnessed first-hand how he fought for his community.
“Together, we delivered millions for our parks, schools and NYCHA, and successfully fought environmental racism by passing the Waste Equity Bill to reduce trucks and trash in lower income communities,” Gutiérrez said.“Now, I’m proud to endorse him for Congress so he can take our fight to DC and defend our community and our neighbors from Trump’s extremism.”
Nurse said that Reynoso was “uniquely qualified” to become the champion for working families in Congress.
“He knows what it means to be poor, he understands the needs of our immigrant neighbors, and he knows how to make government work for the people we serve. I’m thrilled to endorse him and look forward to helping him win this critical race,” she said.
This story first appeared on our sister publication brooklynpaper.com.
