Steven Carbajal, a Brooklyn-based location manager in New York’s film and television industry, on Monday announced his candidacy to become a U.S. Representative in New York’s 7th Congressional District.
Carbajal is running as a first-time candidate in the open Democratic primary. His campaign is centered on listening-first leadership, a shared understanding of reality, and bringing real working-life experience into public service. He is positioning himself as a candidate shaped by decades of hands-on work rather than a traditional political career.
“I’m running to send a real working person to Washington to represent a district whose heartbeat is working people,” Carbajal said in a statement. “This campaign is about slowing things down, listening carefully, and building leadership that reflects the people it serves.
With more than 20 years of behind-the-scenes experience in the film and television industry, Carbajal has spent much of his career coordinating productions, managing logistics, and working across teams to solve complex, time-sensitive problems. His professional background is also informed by earlier work in the restaurant industry and other working-class roles, experiences he says shaped his values around accountability, collaboration and practical problem-solving.
Carbajal’s campaign emphasizes representation for working people and a leadership style that prioritizes listening and careful decision-making. He has framed his run as an effort to send someone with lived working experience to Washington to represent a district made up largely of working families. His message focuses on slowing down the political process, listening carefully to constituents and building leadership that reflects the people it serves.
The 7th Congressional District encompasses Greenpoint, Williamsburg and Bushwick, among other areas. The current U.S. Representative, Nydia M. Velázquez, in November said she will not seek re-election in 2026. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso launched his campaign for the position earlier this month.
Carbajal lives in Williamsburg with his family and remains active in the community.
