Claire Valdez, a Democratic Socialist backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is projected to win New York's 7th Congressional District, a seat long held by retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez. Valdez is expected to defeat Republican challenger Melvin Rivera, a community activist, in a district with a strong Democratic lean. Her projected victory adds another win for the Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA, in the 2026 midterm elections.
Velázquez has represented the district since 2013 and has served in Congress since 1993. Her departure opened the seat in a primary that was widely viewed as a test of the direction of the local Democratic Party. Valdez faced a crowded field, including Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, who drew support from more established Democrats, among them Velázquez herself. Valdez, by contrast, had the backing of the DSA and Mamdani, a self-described socialist.
The primary exposed a sharp divide within New York Democrats. Velázquez criticized outside voters who wanted to weigh in on the race, telling the New York Times before the primary that newcomers were deciding the best candidate without regard to the history and struggles of the community. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries did not endorse in the race but noted the split, describing one side as a coalition of progressive Democrats, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, the Working Families Party and many unions, and the other as the DSA.
Valdez built her platform around abolishing ICE, implementing a Green New Deal-style approach to climate change, instituting universal rent control and creating a Medicare for All system. The DSA endorsed her in January, and the group said her campaign would be powered by the same volunteer network that helped elect Mamdani in 2025. The organization also said Valdez was the only candidate in the district who had committed to not accepting money from the real estate industry.
Democratic strategist Mally Smith told Fox News Digital that Valdez's win was not surprising given how solidly Democratic the district is. Smith argued that the party is broad enough to include far-left candidates but said competitive Republican and swing states would call for different nominees, pointing to Roy Cooper and James Talarico as examples.
Valdez is not the only DSA-backed candidate to reshape the party's New York delegation. In a similar primary, Darializa Avila Chevalier, another DSA candidate, defeated incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat, a high-ranking Democrat who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Coverage of Mamdani-aligned candidates across the state described a slate of left-leaning House candidates winning on the same night, and critics within the party have grown more vocal about the group's expansion.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has been among the few Democrats to publicly express alarm. Earlier this year, he told Fox News Digital that he was troubled by statements from some candidates calling to abolish prisons, the border and ICE, and said some of his colleagues would not speak out against them. The wins by DSA-backed candidates have drawn national attention and sharpened debate over the future direction of the Democratic Party.