Looking ahead, the 36th Assembly District that covers Astoria and parts of Long Island City will open a new seat when Mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani leaves the Assembly to take his position at City Hall on January 1. The successor could actually be more left‑wing than Mamdani, according to observers. Three women, all Democrats Socialists of America members, are lining up to get the party’s endorsement—a powerful springboard for wins across the city.
Meherunnisa “Mary” Jobaida, a first‑generation Bangladeshi American, runs on a criminal‑justice agenda that pushes the DSA’s most radical ideas, such as “decriminalizing all forms of poverty.” She argues that so many New Yorkers are punished just for trying to survive, and her platform calls for ending arrests for fare‑evasion, street vending without permits, and food theft. Jobaida also wants to eliminate prisons except for violent crimes, labeling other offenses simply as “mistakes.” She was the first to file for Mamdani’s seat in Albany and is 45 years old.
Diana Moreno, who helped run Mamdani’s 2020 campaign, sees herself as a fight against the rising tide of fascism. She says she pulled her hat in to “fight the rising tide of fascism” and noted that “no one could ignore the political crisis,” citing ICE raids and reduced social services. Moreno, 38 and a new mother, is not afraid of the long commute to Albany. She is endorsed by the DSA’s “Socialists in Office” group, alongside State Sen. Julia Salazar, Jabari Brisport and Assembly Member Emily Gallagher. Moreno has a background with the DSA, having served as communications director and co‑chair of the Queens branch.
Rana Abdelhamid, a 32‑year‑old former Google employee who earned a six‑figure salary, carries a record of activism in Queens. She has been called “the mayor of Queens” in social‑media posts. Since moving away from Big Tech, Abdelhamid has focused on combating post‑9/11 anti‑Muslim hate. She founded the “Hijabis of New York” and a self‑defense group called “Malikah” after a 2010 incident in which she said a man tried to rip her hijab off. Abdelhamid’s 2022 congressional run was unsuccessful, but she stayed in the public eye and even shared footage of her arrest at a pro‑Palestinian protest in Grand Central terminal in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
Mamdani’s seat will become vacant while he moves to the mayor’s office; once sworn in, Governor Kathy Hochul has 10 days to call a special election, which will be scheduled in less than two months. No Republican or moderate Democrat has entered the race. The DSA’s endorsement will likely be decisive, as neither other party has shown interest in the spot.
The forthcoming special election will decide who takes the seat for Astoria in Albany—a seat that may redefine the city’s left‑wing representation.
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