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Mamdani’s endorsement fuels special election win for his successor in NY Assembly
By
Brigid Bergin
Published Feb 3, 2026
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Silas Emerson Harris
By
Brigid Bergin
Published Feb 3, 2026
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s handpicked successor in his Queens state Assembly district won a low turnout special election Tuesday.
Democratic and Working Families Party candidate Diana Moreno’s win over Rana Abdelhamid represented further evidence of Mamdani’s political power. The mayor endorsed Moreno, a fellow member of the New York City Democratic Socialists of America.
Moreno, an Ecuadorian immigrant and workers' rights activist who lives with her partner and 1-year-old child in Astoria, celebrated her victory Tuesday night at Barzola, an Ecuadorian restaurant in her neighborhood.
Unofficial election night returns show Moreno winning by nearly 60 points over Abdelhamid, who ran on the independent “Queens for All” line. The Associated Press called the race for Moreno shortly after polls closed at 9 p.m.
Abdelhamid was also endorsed by the New York City Muslim Democratic Club of New York, which led her canvass operation. The group endorsed Mamdani last year.
A third candidate, Mary Jobaida, ran on the “People First” line.
Moreno will replace Mamdani on the New York State Socialists in Office, a group of elected officials from the five boroughs and Hudson Valley who say they are advocating for the legislative priorities of working people and maintain a direct line of communication with their respective DSA chapters.
“I’m very proud to be supporting Diana Moreno and supporting her record of having fought for workers’ rights, for immigrants, and also focusing on the need for universal childcare across the city,” Mamdani said Tuesday morning at an unrelated event. “Astoria and Long Island City hold a very special place in my heart and I think she is just the right person to continue the legacy of fighting for working people.”
Moreno’s celebration will be short-lived. In order to serve a full term, she will need to run for the seat again this year, which may involve running in a primary as soon as June and in the general election in November.
There were also special elections for two other state legislative seats in Manhattan. City Councilmember Erik Bottcher was elected as the new state senator in the 47th Senate District — which stretches from the Upper West Side to 14th Street — and former City Councilmember Keith Powers will be the new assemblymember for the 74th Assembly District, which stretches from Kips Bay south to Alphabet City.
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Brigid Bergin
Brigid Bergin is an award-winning senior reporter on the People and Power desk. She is fiercely committed to telling stories that help people engage and support democracy. In 2022, she hosted a live, ten-week call-in politics show ahead of the midterm elections called The People's Guide to Power. Brigid's reporting in 2017 included some of the first coverage of a political newcomer now known as AOC. In 2016, she broke the news of a voter purge in Brooklyn just days before New York’s presidential primary, triggering city, state and federal investigations. Brigid also guest hosts The Brian Lehrer Show and All Of It. She graduated from the University at Albany and the CUNY Newmark School of Journalism. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-723-4719.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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