U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed Assembly Member Claire Valdez on Thursday in the Democratic primary for New York’s 7th Congressional District, giving Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s preferred candidate a major boost in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez.
The endorsement puts Sanders, one of the biggest champions of democratic socialism in American politics, squarely on Valdez’s side in a contest that has become a test of the city’s left flank after Velázquez’s retirement. Velázquez has backed Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso as her preferred successor, while Mamdani endorsed Valdez within a day of her launch.
