Brian Romero

Romero says he is the son of Colombian immigrants, was born in a basement apartment, and was raised in NYCHA housing in Queens.[6] He told City Limits that he was born and raised in East Elmhurst and that his family became homeless around age seven after his parents separated. The outlet, which described him as 36 years old, reports that he lived in NYCHA housing for over a decade, including about a decade in Ravenswood Houses, a development between Astoria and Long Island City, and he says that experience of housing insecurity shapes his priorities.[2][6]

Romero practiced as a social worker for several years, doing psychotherapy, before moving into politics.[2][7] He worked for more than four years as chief of staff to Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas, the district's current representative, and became chief of staff to State Senator Kristen Gonzalez in May 2025. He left the Senate office in March 2026, which he attributed to state ethics rules limiting legislative staff from holding full-time state employment while running for office.[3][2]

Romero filed to run in October 2025 for the seat González-Rojas was leaving to challenge State Senator Jessica Ramos. He defeated Rosa Sanchez in the June 23, 2026 Democratic primary, 66.8% to 32.4%, and also appeared on the Working Families Party line.[3][1][2] He is a member of the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and said he sought its endorsement in the Assembly race.[3] He was unopposed in the November 3, 2026 general election, according to Ballotpedia and Wikipedia.[1][4]