You are reading

Van Bramer and Justice Democrats-backed Activist Rana Abdelhamid Cross Endorse

Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer and Rana Abdelhamid visiting small businesses in Long Island City Saturday (Photo: Courtesy of Van Bramer for Queens)

May 6, 2021 By Ryan Songalia

A well-known Queens progressive and an up-and-coming name in left-wing political circles announced that they have cross endorsed one another as they both seek to topple incumbents in upcoming primaries.

Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer and Rana Abdelhamid, from Astoria, announced today that they are backing one another in their respective bids for office. Van Bramer is running in the Democratic primary to be the next Queens Borough President, while Abdelhamid aims to represent New York’s 12th congressional district— which covers Western Queens, North Brooklyn and the East Side of Manhattan.

The two have made the announcement just days after going on a walking tour together in Long Island City to visit small businesses.

Abdelhamid, an activist who is backed by the influential progressive group Justice Democrats, is running to unseat long-time congresswoman Carolyn Maloney next year. The 27-year-old is a marketing executive for Google’s Women Techmakers program and is also on the board of Amnesty International.

Van Bramer says she would be a “champion for progressive values in Washington” if elected.

“The district has become more diverse while increasingly inequitable, and Rana has the vision to make sure Western Queens, Manhattan’s East Side, and North Brooklyn is a place for working families, not just Wall Street and the well-connected,” said Van Bramer, who represents the 26th council district.

“She is a fighter and willing to throw down on housing, economic, environmental, and racial justice on a local and federal level, and together we can make this city a place that works for everyone,” said Van Bramer, whose made reference to her martial arts background.

Abdelhamid holds a black belt in Shotokan karate and launched a self defense group for women.

Meanwhile, Abdelhamid cites Van Bramer’s opposition to Amazon’s planned headquarters in Queens as part of her reason for backing him in the Queens Borough President race. The position is currently held by Donovan Richards, who is seeking reelection.

“Jimmy Van Bramer is the progressive champion we need to fight for the recovery we deserve,” Abdelhamid said.

Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer and Rana Abdelhamid in Sunnyside

email the author: news@queenspost.com

One Comment

Click for Comments 
Anonymous

Not asking any questions, endorse me, I’ll endorse you. So sad, some people will do and say anything to win an election. JVB killed the Amazon deal and lost over 35000 jobs for Queens.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Surveillance photos released of gunman sought in murder of East Elmhurst woman: NYPD

The NYPD on Tuesday released surveillance images of the suspected gunman who allegedly shot a young woman to death inside her East Elmhurst home on the night of Friday, Sept. 12.

Police from the 115th Precinct in Jackson Heights responded to a 911 call of an assault in progress at 26-30 96th St. at 9:20 p.m. Upon arrival, officers found 21-year-old Dashanna Donovan with a gunshot wound to the head. EMS pronounced her dead at the scene.