Mamdani endorses slate of Queens candidates for state Legislature

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has endorsed a slate of candidates for the state legislature in Queens, backing Brian Romero, Aber Kawas and Samantha Kattan for open seats in Albany as well as backing Diana Moreno to retain her seat in his old Assembly District in the borough.

Mamdani, who announced the endorsements Saturday afternoon, put his political weight behind a number of candidates backed by the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), backing Kawas in the race to succeed outgoing State Sen. Mike Gianaris in the 12th Senate District. Assembly Member Steven Raga has also launched a campaign for the seat.

The mayor, meanwhile, backed Kattan in the race to succeed Assembly Member Claire Valdez in the 37th District after Valdez launched a bid for the soon-to-be-vacant 7th Congressional District. Kattan, who has also been endorsed by the DSA, is running against Pia Rahman and Melissa Orlando for Valdez’s seat.

Mamdani endorsed Moreno before her convincing special election victory to replace him in the 36th District in February and has done so again ahead of the June primary, with Mary Jobaida, another candidate in the recent special election, also launching a campaign for the seat.



https://qns.com/2026/06/mamdani-endorses-queens-candidates/