Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso is running to represent New York's 7th Congressional District, a seat that includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens. The district has been represented by Rep. Nydia Velázquez for more than three decades.
Velázquez announced last year that she would retire and endorsed Reynoso as her successor.
Reynoso spoke to News 12 while walking through South Williamsburg, also known as Los Sures. Reynoso was born and raised here and still lives with his wife and two boys, one of whom has autism.
The Democrat said he wants to represent the community that shaped him to have a voice in Washington, D.C.
"My job is to close the gap, show them a government that showed up for me," Reynoso said. "I got food stamps and Section 8. I got a scholarship to go to college. That's all federal government showing up for me."
Reynoso began his political career as a community organizer before serving seven years on the New York City Council. He has spent the past five years as Brooklyn borough president.
If elected to Congress, Reynoso said he would focus on issues affecting working families, including affordability, housing, education and support for small businesses.
"If we can solve for the housing crisis, we solve for the affordability crisis," Reynoso said. "Once you have reasonable rent, everything else makes more sense."
Reynoso has secured endorsements from various elected officials, including Velázquez and New York Attorney General Letitia James, and labor unions and community leaders.
He also has the support of Tonita, the owner of the longtime Caribbean Social Club in Williamsburg, an iconic neighborhood institution that gained national attention after she was featured during Bad Bunny’s halftime performance.
Reynoso also said he plans to continue Velázquez's advocacy for Puerto Rico in Congress.
As the campaign heads into its final weeks before the Democratic primary, Reynoso said his message ultimately comes down to creating more opportunities for younger generations.
"I want to make sure that what we're going through now as millennials, where the American dream is just not something that's possible for many of us," he said. "Houses are too expensive. I want the future for my son to be a lot better than the one that was left for me. And going to Congress to do that work is going to be important.”
The race for New York's 7th Congressional District, which was redrawn in 2024, is gearing up to be one of the most closely watched races, as Reynoso faces off against New York State Representative Claire Valdez, who was backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The Democratic primary election is June 23. Early voting begins June 13.
