Queens Dems nominate DSA-backed Diana Moreno to succeed Mamdani

City & State New York•January 5, 2026•nation

Key Points:

The Queens Democratic Party officially nominated Diana Moreno, a democratic socialist and immigrant from Ecuador, as their candidate for the upcoming special election in Assembly District 36, scheduled for February 3.
Moreno, endorsed by former Assembly member and current Mayor Zohran Mamdani, launched her campaign in October and has strong ties to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and immigrant advocacy groups.
The nomination was decided by a vote among Congressmember Gregory Meeks, the county chair, and four Democratic district leaders, bypassing a primary due to special election rules.
Despite Moreno’s alignment with DSA, which is atypical for the Queens county party's moderate base, the party supported her to avoid a potentially divisive third-party challenge