Velázquez to retire, opening up a new race in Queens
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Queens Rep. Nydia Velazquez will retire next year, she announced on Thursday. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
By Ryan Schwach
Representative Nydia Velázquez announced Thursday night she will retire next year, opening up a new primary for a congressional seat in Queens and Brooklyn.
Velázquez has represented parts of the two boroughs in Washington for over three-decades and has gained the reputation as one of the five borough’s fiercest Democratic firebrands on the Hill, earning her the “Luchadora” nickname – Spanish for “fighter.”
Her announcement, which reverberated through outer borough political circles last week, will undoubtedly lead to a closely-watched Democratic primary to fill her shoes.
The district lies at the heart of the city’s progressive seat of power and includes parts of the Queens neighborhoods of Long Island City, Astoria, Sunnyside, Ridgewood and Glendale, as well as the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Downtown Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bushwick and Cypress Hills.
Mamdani’s largest margin of support came in Velázquez’s 7th Congressional District. He won it by more than 50,000 votes.
“My district is home to so many dedicated elected officials, community leaders and activists, and I have complete confidence that NY-7 will remain in good hands,” Velázquez said.
While it seems that a progressive lawmaker will surely replace the outgoing congressmember, just who that may be is very much an open question.
State Senator Julia Salazar and Councilmember Jennifer Gutiérrez represent neighborhoods in both boroughs, like Velázquez. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, and progressive Councilmembers Sandy Nurse and Tiffany Cabán have also had their names floated as potential successors.
“I would definitely be open to it,” Cabán told POLITICO’s Jeff Coltin.
Cabán, Salazar and State Senator Kristen Gonzalez and Assemblymembers Emily Gallagher and Claire Valdez’s seats all overlap with NY-7. And they are all members of the Democratic Socialists of America, who are likely to see the seat as an opportunity following Mamdani’s win.
While not DSA members, progressive Councilmembers Julie Won and Lincoln Restler also overlap with the district.
Velázquez, who is 72, announced her intention to not seek reelection in a lengthy statement on social media, calling for a new generation to take the reins.
“Fore more than three decades, I have had the privilege of a lifetime serving the people of New York City in the United States Congress,” she said. “After much reflection, I have decided that this will be my last term in Congress. This was not an easy decision, but I believe that the time is right for me to move on and for a new generation of leaders to step forward.”
“I do not yet know what the next chapter holds, but I know I will continue fighting for the city I love,” she added.
Born in Puerto Rico, Velázquez was elected in 1993 and became the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress, representing a newly redistricting seat that was majority-Hispanic, defeating a longtime incumbent.
She has served 16 terms, chairing both the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Small Business Committee, the first Latina to chair a congressional committee.
On Thursday night, affectionate tributes to the trailblazing representative poured in.
“As the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress, her leadership has opened doors for generations of New Yorkers,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “We became friends when I served with her in Congress, and I’ve continued to seek her wisdom as Governor. I’m grateful for her service and wish her nothing but the very best in this next chapter.”
Velázquez supported Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani – whose Assembly district overlaps her congressional district – for mayor, one of the first high-level local Democrats to do so.
“[Velázquez] has always been a champion and tireless advocate for immigrants, small businesses and working families,” Mamdani said in a social media statement. “[Her] grace and fight showed us what real leadership looks like. From the bottom of my heart, thank you La Luchadora.”
In her statement, Velázquez acknowledged Mamdani’s win, and the political shifts that came with it, as a motivation behind her choice to not seek a 17th term in Congress.
“New York’s recent mayoral election shows that Americans are hungry for change and determined to build a better future,” she said.
The newly opened NY-7 adds to what is gearing up to be an active primary season at the congressional level in New York City.
Representatives Ritchie Torres, Hakeem Jeffries and Daniel Goldman in Brooklyn are all likely to face primary challenges, as will Manhattan Rep. Adriano Espaillat.
Queens Representative Grace Meng is being challenged by Chuck Park, a longtime government worker.
There are also several candidates already filed in Manhattan to succeed Congressmember Jerry Nadler, another Mamdani-backing representative who announced his retirement this year.
