U.S. House · New York's 7th Congressional District
Parts of Brooklyn and Queens, including Bushwick, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Ridgewood, Sunnyside, Long Island City, and Bedford-Stuyvesant.
General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
RESULT · UNOFFICIAL UNTIL CERTIFIED
Claire Valdez, projected winner
| Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Claire Valdez | 135,179 | 83.3% |
| Melvin Rivera | 24,370 | 15% |
| Priscilla Ghaznavi | 2,155 | 1.3% |
| Total Write-ins | 514 | 0.3% |
About 88% of the expected vote counted. As of November 9. Winners take office next year. Counts can change until states certify. NBC News ↗
Sources re-checked September 25, 2026 · How we research
- There is no incumbent in this race; Rep. Nydia Velázquez did not seek re-election. Claire Valdez defeated Antonio Reynoso, Julie Won, and Vichal Kumar in the June 23, 2026 Democratic primary, 56.2% to 35.6% to 6.3% to 1.7%.[1]
- Antonio Reynoso had automatically advanced from the Working Families Party primary based on write-in votes before the Democratic primary was decided. After losing the Democratic primary, Reynoso withdrew from the Working Families Party line; Ballotpedia lists him as a withdrawn/disqualified candidate for the general election. Claire Valdez appears on the November 3 general-election ballot on both the Democratic and Working Families Party lines.[1][2]
- Melvin Rivera automatically advanced from both the Republican and Conservative Party primaries, which were canceled. He was also initially certified on the No Kings Party and Arts & Culture Party lines, but Ballotpedia lists those two lines as withdrawn/disqualified for the general election; Rivera appears on the ballot on the Republican and Conservative lines.[1]
On the November 3 ballot · 3 candidates
Issue evidence — side by side
Recorded votes, documented positions and candidates’ own words are shown with sources. “In their own words” quotes a candidate on the topic without inferring a stance. Votes describe specific bills or motions; they do not establish overall support or opposition to a broad issue. A dash means our research has no evidence on that topic, not that the candidate has no position.
Expand immigration enforcement and deportations
- Claire ValdezOpposes[4]
Opposes expanded immigration enforcement; campaigns to abolish and dismantle ICE and push for immigration reform that legalizes the status of millions of immigrant Americans.
- Melvin Rivera—
- Priscilla Ghaznavi—
Stronger rent regulation and tenant protections
- Claire ValdezSupports[6]
Campaigns for universal rent control and greater tenant power, and as an Assemblymember is the prime sponsor of a bill to cap initial regulated rents at the average for comparable rent-stabilized units.
- Melvin RiveraSupports[12]
Proposes a Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act giving tenants the first right to make an offer before a landlord lists a property for sale, and an anti-flip tax on speculation.
- Priscilla Ghaznavi—
Loosen zoning rules to build more housing
Expand public health coverage
Faster transition away from fossil fuels
- Claire ValdezSupports[6]
Supports a Green New Deal-style transition, including freezing electricity rates and rapidly investing in clean, publicly accountable energy.
- Melvin Rivera—
- Priscilla Ghaznavi—
Increase police funding and staffing
- Claire Valdez—
- Melvin RiveraSupports[12]
Proposes fully funding police departments with higher officer salaries and added mental-health support.
- Priscilla Ghaznavi—
Raise the minimum wage
- Claire ValdezSupports[6]
Calls for guaranteeing a job with a living wage as part of a broader labor and economic security agenda.
- Melvin Rivera—
- Priscilla Ghaznavi—
Continue U.S. military aid to Israel
- Claire ValdezOpposes[4]
Opposes continued U.S. military aid to Israel and calls for an end to weapons sales tied to the conflict.
- Melvin Rivera—
- Priscilla Ghaznavi—
Research notes & limits
Sitting-member key floor votes and FEC finance totals are added separately by script and intentionally omitted here for the eventual incumbent. Ghaznavi's biography comes from her campaign website and Ballotpedia, and Rivera's mainly from his campaign website; no independent news profile of either was found.
Sources · 33
Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.
- 1.New York's 7th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Claire Valdez · Ballotpedia Reference
- 3.Claire Valdez · Ballotpedia Reference
- 4.Issues · Claire Valdez for Congress Candidate's own words
- 5.Assemblymember Claire Valdez launches campaign for congress · NY1 · 2026-01-09 News report
- 6.Issues · Claire Valdez for Congress Candidate's own words
- 7.Bill A08084 · New York State Assembly Official record
- 8.Bill A05427 · New York State Assembly Official record
- 9.Bill A08917 · New York State Assembly Official record
- 10.Bill A08931 · New York State Assembly Official record
- 11.Bill A11160 · New York State Assembly Official record
- 12.Issues · Melvin for Congress Candidate's own words
- 13.Biography · Melvin for Congress Candidate's own words
- 14.Priscilla Ghaznavi for Congress · Priscilla Ghaznavi for Congress Candidate's own words
- 15.Community Concerns · Priscilla Ghaznavi for Congress Candidate's own words
- 16.New York's 7th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
- 17.Claire Valdez · Ballotpedia Reference
- 18.Issues · Claire Valdez for Congress Candidate's own words
- 19.Claire Valdez (Wikipedia) · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
- 20.Claire Valdez pitches herself as fresh voice for workers, tenants in NY-07 · New York Daily News via The Daily Gazette · 2026-10-21 News report
- 21.Claire Valdez for Congress · Claire Valdez for Congress · 2026-10-21 Candidate's own words
- 22.Claire Valdez - Assembly District 37 Biography · New York State Assembly · 2026-10-21 Official record
- 23.New York State Assembly District 37 · Ballotpedia Reference
- 24.Claire Valdez wins Democratic primary in NY-7, defeats Antonio Reynoso in closely watched progressive battle · PoliticsNY · 2026-06-23 News report
- 25.New York U.S. House District 7 election results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 26.Issues · Melvin for Congress Candidate's own words
- 27.Biography · Melvin for Congress Candidate's own words
- 28.Melvin Rivera (New York) · Ballotpedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
- 29.U.S. House New York's 7th Congressional District results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 30.Priscilla Ghaznavi for Congress · Priscilla Ghaznavi for Congress Candidate's own words
- 31.Community Concerns · Priscilla Ghaznavi for Congress Candidate's own words
- 32.Priscilla Ghaznavi · Ballotpedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
- 33.U.S. House New York's 7th Congressional District results 2026 · NBC News News report