On Thursday December 4th, 2025, Brooklyn borough president Antonio Reynoso announced that he will run for a New York City congressional seat being vacated by Representative Nydia M. Velázquez.
The 42-year-old is the first candidate to declare to run for the NY-7 seat. Two weeks ago, Velázquez announced that she would not seek reelection next year. The 72-year-old has served 16 terms and is the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in Congress.
In an interview, Reynoso said he wants to fight President Trump’s attempts to curb immigration and federal safety net programs and would seek to “decorporatize the Democratic Party.
“I want to be a voice to push the party to the left,” he told the Times.
New York’s seventh congressional district includes neighborhoods like Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Bushwick and Ridgewood in Brooklyn.
The Democratic party is expected to vote in January to endorse one of their members to run for the seat.
Other democratic lawmakers are exploring possible runs, including Councilwoman Tiffany Cabán, State Senator Kristen Gonzalez and Assemblywoman Claire Valdez
Reynoso was elected borough president in 2021, succeeding Eric Adams, who was elected as mayor.