The Race for New York's 7th Congressional District

Why It Matters

The field to replace Rep. Nydia Velázquez in New York's 7th Congressional District is being reshaped by an unprecedented flood of outside money, with one candidate pulling far ahead in fundraising while another is backed by institutional power.

Velázquez, who served 32 years in Congress and was the first Puerto Rican woman elected to the House, announced her retirement in mid-November 2025. Her departure leaves open a seat that was explicitly drawn to give Puerto Rican communities representation, but the district's demographics have shifted dramatically. White non-Hispanic residents now comprise approximately 36 percent of the population, giving them a plurality. Hispanic/Latino residents make up approximately 34 percent, while Asian residents represent approximately 12 percent.

This represents a profound change from the district's origins. Between 2000 and 2015, Williamsburg and Greenpoint added 20,000 or more residents overall while losing approximately 15,000 Latino residents. The primary features four major candidates, each with distinct funding sources and political backing.

Claire Valdez

Claire Valdez, a Texas transplant who moved to New York approximately a decade ago, has become the fundraising juggernaut of the primary. Her campaign raised approximately $1.3 million in total campaign funds, with approximately $751,680 in Q1 2026 from individual contributions. As of June 12, she had approximately $418,000 in cash on hand.

But the real story is the outside money. Valdez has benefited from approximately $350,000 or more in outside Super PAC spending as of June 18. The American Priorities Super PAC, founded by a former Sanders strategist, committed $2 million to boosting Valdez and two other Mamdani-endorsed candidates.

Two tech industry figures have emerged as major donors to the super PAC supporting Valdez. Mohammed Waqas Javed donated $1 million to the American Priorities Super PAC supporting her. Omer Hasan also donated $1 million to the same super PAC. Both have ties to the tech industry.

Elizabeth Simons, daughter of late billionaire James Simons, was a top donor to the pro-Mamdani super PAC apparatus supporting Valdez. Sam Mahrouq, a Texas businessman, was also a donor to the American Priorities PAC supporting her. Mahrouq also donated to Marjorie Taylor Greene and Greg Abbott, showing a pattern of supporting candidates across ideological lines.

The concentration of wealth behind Valdez became controversial when two other candidates, Antonio Reynoso and Julie Won, jointly accused her of breaking a no-super-PAC pledge that all candidates had made. The American Priorities PAC spent heavily on her behalf after she was accused of breaking that pledge. Valdez's campaign stated she had no control over the independent expenditure spending on her behalf, and she and other Mamdani-backed candidates said they had no knowledge of the American Priorities PAC spending supporting them.

Valdez also reported having more than 22,000 small-dollar donors, suggesting grassroots appeal alongside the mega-donors fueling outside spending.

Antonio Reynoso

Antonio Reynoso, who entered the race first and holds the most institutional endorsements, took a different path. He raised approximately $858,000 in total campaign funds, with approximately $630,068 in the first quarter of 2026, consisting of $614,618 from individual contributions and $15,450 from PACs. As of June 12, he had approximately $312,000 in cash on hand.

Reynoso was the only candidate in this race to accept direct PAC money in the first quarter of 2026. He received institutional backing from labor unions and the Working Families Party. But Reynoso has trailed Valdez significantly in fundraising, and he received $97,210 in out-of-state donations, suggesting less ability to tap national networks. However, Velázquez herself has endorsed Reynoso, lending her political weight to his campaign.

Julie Won

Julie Won, a Korean American City Council Member from Queens, is running to capture the district's Asian American community. She raised approximately $645,000 in the first quarter of 2026 since her February announcement, with approximately $213,000 in the most recent fundraising period reported as of June 12, with approximately $320,000 in cash on hand. She raised funds entirely from individual contributions with no direct PAC money accepted. Won polled at 13 percent in an Emerson College poll conducted May 17, though 43 percent of likely primary voters were still undecided at that time.

Vichal Kumar

Vichal Kumar raised approximately $114,817 through March 2026, consisting of $102,806 from individual contributions and $12,011 in self-funded contributions. His fundraising came primarily from individual small donors, reflecting a grassroots campaign with limited financial resources.

A District in Flux

The New York congressional race donations reflect the broader transformation of Brooklyn. The district was historically defined by its Puerto Rican and Latino communities. Puerto Rican and Dominican communities remain concentrated in South Williamsburg (Los Sures), Bushwick, and Cypress Hills. But gentrification has redrawn the map. After the 2005 Williamsburg/Greenpoint rezoning, the waterfront area's white population increased by 44 percent while the waterfront area's Latino population declined by 27 percent. This demographic shift is playing out in the fundraising patterns. Valdez, the outsider from Texas backed by tech money, has the resources to compete. Reynoso, backed by labor and the political establishment, has institutional support but less cash. Won is banking on the growing Asian American presence.

Prediction markets favor Claire Valdez at 79 percent to win the primary. NYC Democratic primary turnout is typically low, often 15-25 percent of registered Democrats, meaning that Valdez's early voting operation and financial resources could prove decisive.

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