The “Favorite Moment” That Disappeared
Diana Moreno is the heavy favorite to take over Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s former Assembly seat. She has the endorsements, the momentum, and the party backing. But a recent trip to a local high school has forced her campaign into damage control mode.
Moreno stopped by a city school this week in what looks like a direct violation of Department of Education policy.
She even posted about it on Instagram, calling the visit her “favorite moment of the campaign so far.”
Then, people started asking questions. Suddenly, the post vanished.
The 60-Day Rule
Here is the problem. City school regulations are strict regarding political activity. They state clearly that “no candidate for public office” may visit a Department of Education school building during the 60 calendar days prior to an election.
The special election is set for Feb. 3. That puts this visit well within the “no-go” zone.
To make matters more complicated, sources confirm that neither City Hall nor the Department of Education received prior notice of the visit. That is another procedural red flag.
“We Were Invited”
Moreno’s team is pushing back against the criticism.
Aaron Narraph Fernando, her campaign manager, insists there was no foul play. He told reporters that the school isn’t even in the legislative district they are fighting for.
“We didn’t campaign and we were invited,” Fernando said. The team claims Moreno was simply there to talk to students about running for office and her life experience, not to hunt for votes.
The school principal, Luis Familia, backed this up. He admitted the visit came together “out of nowhere” late in the day but said he approved it because he wanted to build bridges for his students.
“She wants to come visit? That’s great,” Familia recalled thinking. He noted that Moreno discussed the future of robotics and the local Queens community with the kids.
Rivals Left in the Cold
The explanation isn’t flying with Moreno’s opponents.
This is shaping up to be a three-way showdown. Moreno is facing off against Mary Jobaida and Rana Abdelhamid, both fellow democratic socialists running on independent lines. Neither of them got an invite to speak to the students.
Jobaida’s camp wasted no time calling it out.
“Mary doesn’t just go to visit schools for a photo op,” said spokesperson James Carozza. He pointed out that Jobaida has actually taught in public schools in the district.
The Social Media Trail
While the principal says he is open to inviting other candidates now, the optics are tricky.
Jennifer Flores, the teacher who invited Moreno, initially posted enthusiastic photos on Instagram. She praised Moreno’s “amazing work” and wished her luck in the upcoming election. She also wrote, “We love politicians who care for the kids!”
Like the campaign’s own post, that message has since been deleted.
With the election just weeks away, the race is heating up. Whether this was an innocent educational visit or an unfair campaign stop is now up for debate.