Claire Valdez | BernieCrats.com

Biography

Claire Valdez was born on October 12, 1989, in Lubbock, Texas, and has made Queens, New York her home and her political base. She built her political identity through labor organizing and the arts — working as a program assistant in the visual arts department at Columbia University, where she became deeply involved with UAW Local 2110, eventually serving as unit chair and on the local's bargaining committee.

Her organizing work drew her into the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, whose politics of grassroots working-class power shaped her vision for governance. In 2024, she ran for the New York State Assembly's 37th District — covering parts of Long Island City, Astoria, and western Queens — and won decisively against the incumbent, campaigning on affordability, union rights, and opposition to corporate donors. She was endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Working Families Party.

In 2026, with retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez's seat open, Valdez entered the race for New York's 7th Congressional District — a diverse seat spanning parts of Brooklyn and Queens that includes Long Island City, Astoria, Ridgewood, Bushwick, Williamsburg, and East New York. She was endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Bernie Sanders and won the June 23 primary with 58% of the vote, defeating Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso by 26 points. It was part of a three-seat sweep by Mamdani's progressive slate.

2026 House Campaign

Valdez entered the race for NY-7 when Rep. Nydia Velázquez, who has represented the district since 1993, announced her retirement. The race pitted Valdez — backed by Mayor Mamdani, Bernie Sanders, and the NYC-DSA — against Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, who had the backing of Velázquez herself and several prominent labor unions.

Valdez won convincingly on June 23, 2026, taking 58% of the vote to Reynoso's 33%. The result was a clear signal that the Mamdani coalition — democratic socialists, young renters, immigrant communities, and anti-war progressives — now constitutes the dominant political force in New York City's Democratic Party.

The 7th District has been called the 'Commie Corridor' for its high concentration of progressive voters. Valdez's platform centers on taxing the wealthy, Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, a federal jobs guarantee, free public college, and abolishing ICE. She will succeed Velázquez in one of the most safely Democratic seats in New York, effectively guaranteeing her a seat in Congress.