Mamdani endorses fellow DSA operative to fill Queens Assembly seat

Queens, N.Y. — Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Saturday endorsed Diana Moreno, a longtime comrade in the Democratic Socialists of America, to replace him in the New York State Assembly in a February 3 special election for the 36th District. The endorsement was announced at a news conference at Athens Square in Astoria, where Mamdani appeared with Moreno and other DSA members to discuss the race.

Mamdani, who is slated to be sworn in as mayor on Jan. 1, said Moreno shares the district’s progressive priorities and has the experience to carry on the work he and other residents have built. "It’s been the pleasure of a lifetime to represent this district, and I am so excited at the fact that we have in Diana, someone who will not just continue the legacy that I and so many here have built, but frankly, for someone who can take that work even further," he said. "I am so proud to endorse my friend, to endorse my fellow DSA member, Diana Moreno, to be the next assembly member to represent the great 36th District." Moreno, standing beside him, said she intends to defend immigrant neighbors and push for universal no-cost child care, tenant protections and affordable housing for working families in Queens: "I am prepared to defend our immigrant neighbors, win universal no-cost child care for our working families, and fight and fight for the tenant protections and affordable housing that my family and our neighbors will need to call Queens home for generations to come."

Moreno is Ecuadorian-born and has previously held leadership roles within the DSA, including communications director and co-chair of the Queens branch. Her background underscores the link between the local party’s organizing presence and the bid to shape state policy from a Western Queens district that leans progressive.

The race to replace Mamdani has drawn several other left-leaning candidates. Meherunnisa “Mary” Jobaida, a first-generation Bangladeshi American, is campaigning on a criminal justice platform that aligns with the more radical end of the DSA spectrum, including calls that supporters described as decriminalizing all forms of poverty. Rana Abdelhamid, a local activist and Harvard-educated former Google employee who earned a six-figure salary before turning to activism, has become a prominent voice in the district’s progressive circle and has highlighted fighting post-9/11 anti-Muslim hate as a central focus of her work.

The 36th District covers parts of western Queens, and Mamdani’s swearing-in as mayor on Jan. 1 will trigger the vacancy that Moreno seeks to fill in the state Legislature. The Feb. 3 special election is expected to attract continued attention from progressive groups that supported Mamdani’s rise and are pushing for greater representation of working families and immigrant communities in Albany. Moreno’s endorsement positions her among the leading contenders, though the contest remains open as campaigns outline their plans and coalitions.

Observers note that the endorsements and candidate backgrounds reflect a broader trend in New York politics: a shift toward unabashed progressive candidates seeking state-level influence to push universal social supports and aggressive housing protections in a city with persistent affordability challenges. The outcome of the 36th District race could influence the tone and priorities of the remaining weeks of the current legislative session and offer a glimpse into how the DSA’s influence translates from local organizing into formal policy positions in Albany.