Community organizer launches bid for Mamdani’s Assembly seat, setting up internal DSA fight

Rana Abdelhamid, a community organizer and Democratic Socialists of America member, is officially kicking off a campaign for Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s state Assembly seat, pitting her against a fellow DSA adherent who has already locked in the leftist group’s endorsement in the race.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily News on Monday, Abdelhamid, the founder of a self-defense group who has unsuccessfully campaigned for Congress, said she’s jumping into February’s special election for Queens’ 36th Assembly District because of her deep ties to the neighborhood.

“It’s home to my community, which is Little Egypt, that is the community that raised me, and one thing that is really motivating me to run is that I’m really tired to see that people are not able to stay here,” Abdelhamid said, vowing she would if elected fight to expand universal child care for city residents and enact other programs aimed at driving down the cost of living for New Yorkers.

“I want to create an Astoria and Long Island City that people can stay in.”

According to her team, Abdelhamid is expected to formally launch her campaign Tuesday with a video announcement as well as a press conference in Astoria. Having earlier this month opened an exploratory campaign account, Abdelhamid has raised about $140,000 so far, a portion of it being money left over from her failed 2022 congressional campaign, her team said.

Abdelhamid’s entry into the race for the Astoria-based Assembly seat could create an awkward dynamic for Mamdani, a DSA member who is as the district’s outgoing incumbent expected to chime in on the contest.

Diana Moreno, a former co-chair of the DSA’s Queens branch, is already running for Mamdani’s seat and expected to receive the DSA’s formal endorsement after its Electoral Working Group recently voted overwhelmingly to give her the nod.