PACKERS-Lions -> Chiefs-Cowboys, don’t let anyone tell you things were better in the good ol’ days. That’s 7-hours of meaningful NFL action on Thanksgiving, a day synonymous with non-contenders playing other non-contenders or single-loss teams resting their QB’s. I don’t know what’s worse, a pair of sub-250% teams going into OT, or 1st Q blowouts leading to a relative’s request to ‘put Disney on for the kids.’ This year is different, in politics too.
Our local U.S. Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez announced last week that she will not seek re-election in 2026, and I expect there to be an all-out scramble to replace her as the Democratic candidate for this juicy opening.
I’ve speculated previously that this seat might be ripe for poaching from the 72-year old, 16-consecutive term holder, given the recent insurgency of many young upstarts from the left flank. Instead, Velazquez was able to retire on her own terms and schedule, unlike our previous President and Jose Canseco ((San Diego Surf Dawgs -> Long Beach Armada -> Laredo Broncos -> Quintana Roo Tigres -> Worcester Tornadoes -> Rio Grande Valley White Wings -> Ft. Worth Cats -> Pittsburg Diamonds -> Normal CornBelters -> Yuma Scorpions)).
Velazquez became our congressperson in 2022 following a redistricting that removed our previous US Rep. – Carolyn Maloney. The 7th Congressional District is a hodge-podge of voter-types, with some heavy DSA coverage including Astoria and Sunnyside, a few right leaning pockets who may not even be registered as Democrats (Maspeth, Hasidic Williamsburg), some predominantly black communities – East NY, Bushwick, Downtown Bklyn – whose constituency is not easy to characterize, and one big neutral zone: Long Island City.
Corralling this assemblage and striking the right mix while fending off competitors will not be an easy task. Yet in an article entitled ‘Nydia Velázquez leaves huge shoes. Who wants to fill them?,’ the answer seems to be ‘everyone.’ Which is understandable considering the potential candidates it lists, all of whom would take a BIG step up in prestige and renown from their current elected positions. I’ll highlight a few of our local possibilities.
Kristen Gonzalez has been a State Senator for LIC (59th Senate District) since 2022. It was the first elected office for the now 30-year old, and she is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Claire Valdez is the member of the NYS Assembly representing LIC, having won her first-elected office in 2025. She is also a member of the DSA. Julie Won is our local City Councilwoman, having won her first-elected seat in 2021. She is not a member of the DSA.
The article goes on to list another six possible candidates who are not currently representing LIC, but overlap with Nydia Velazquez’ district, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a few more aren’t already assembling teams and putting in the paperwork. All of which will need to be done quickly to get a jump on other candidates and build momentum fast. Seats like this don’t open up too often, and I expect the race to attain this one is going to get very interesting between now and Primary Day on June 23…
//WHAT a difference five years make! Is now too early to look back nostalgically on how we acted during the pandemic? A lot has changed since then: actions-wise, economically, politically, socially; but we still have turkey on Thanksgiving, and the Lions and Cowboys, and Long Island City.
Nydia Velázquez, a New York Trailblazer in Congress, to Retire Next Year
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