Claire Valdez, a Democratic Socialist assemblymember from Queens, has sparked attention by listing the signing of a petition as a "key accomplishment" on her resume while campaigning for a congressional seat. Valdez, who is backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, included this action in a biography distributed to campaign volunteers, as reported by the New York Post.
Petition for Pro-Palestine Activist Highlighted
The petition in question demanded the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful U.S. resident and Columbia University activist who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for over 100 days in 2025. Valdez's involvement in this letter is presented alongside other modest achievements on her resume, such as renting an apartment, joining a union, and supporting Mayor Mamdani early in his 2024 campaign.
Campaign Background and Funding
Valdez, elected in November 2024 with a base salary of $142,000, emphasizes her roots in low-wage customer service jobs on her campaign website. She states, "I didn’t come to politics through party machines or electoral ambition. I learned how this system really works in low-wage customer service jobs and found my power in a union." Additionally, she notes that she "risked arrest" to protest ICE.
While Valdez boasts that small donors fuel her campaign, Ballotpedia data reveals that during her 2024 run, more than half of her donations came from the Office of the State Comptroller. In a similar strategy to Mamdani, she has invested $24,089 in advertising on Facebook and Meta Platforms to reach voters.
Mamdani's Endorsement and Controversial Backing
Mayor Mamdani endorsed Valdez, praising her early support and stating, "Claire Valdez stood with me on day one because she understands how change is won—by building power, raising expectations, and delivering for working people. She comes from the labor movement and knows how to turn struggle into real gains on housing, healthcare, and workers’ rights. That’s the kind of partner I need in Congress, and why I’m proud to endorse her."
However, Mamdani's endorsements have faced criticism, particularly after he backed Aber Kawas, a Palestinian-American activist running for a seat in the state's 36th district. Kawas previously attributed the September 11 attacks to "white supremacy" in a 2017 Asian American Writers' Workshop, saying, "The system of capitalism and racism and white supremacy and Islamophobia have all been used to colonize lands, to take resources from other people, so this is a long trajectory and we're just seeing the manifestations of that continuation with 9/11."
Public Outrage and Comparisons
Commentators expressed outrage over Kawas's remarks, with one asking, "What the hell was Zohran thinking?" Another wrote, "It is getting absurd how many people seeking political office clearly hate this country and want to destroy the foundational principles that have made it successful." The controversy was further fueled by comparisons to Mamdani's association with leftist Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who infamously claimed America "deserved 9/11."
The Daily Mail has reached out to Valdez for comment regarding her campaign resume, but no response has been provided at this time.
