State Senator Gustavo Rivera on Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez’s Retirement
November 21, 2025
“Today, La Luchadora, the first Puerto Rican woman to be elected to Congress, and a personal idol of mine, has announced her retirement.”
“Words will not be enough to properly describe the impact of her body of work, not only for countless New Yorkers, but on me personally.
A proud Latina and an even prouder Puerto Rican, Congresswoman Velazquez is the OG progressive. She never backed down from a good fight and has always stood by her values, even if that meant standing alone.”
“I wish the Congresswoman a well deserved retirement and a celebration of her legacy. Whoever gets the honor of succeeding her has incredibly big shoes to fill. ¡Siempre p’alante!”