Brooklyn, NY — March 4, 2026 — Public Defender Vichal Kumar launched his campaign for New York’s 7th Congressional District with a kickoff event in Bushwick March 3rd and the release of his campaign launch video outlining his vision to Resist. Reclaim. Reimagine.

 

Watch the official campaign launch video here.

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The event at Kings County Brewers Collective brought together supporters, advocates, and neighbors from across Brooklyn and Queens. The evening featured remarks from Kumar and highlighted the campaign’s focus on immigrant justice, economic opportunity, and institutional accountability.

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“This campaign is about more than winning a seat — it’s about restoring confidence that government can work for working people,” Kumar told supporters. “We need bold ideas, and we need leaders who understand how to implement them. I’ve spent more than twenty years inside courtrooms and public institutions, reforming systems that weren’t serving people. That’s the experience I’m bringing to Congress.”

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The son of working-class immigrants, Kumar has represented immigrants, tenants, and fellow working-class New Yorkers throughout his career, building a reputation for principled advocacy and strategic reform. His campaign will center on defending immigrant communities, expanding health care access, protecting workers, strengthening economic mobility, and redefining the role of governmental institutions. 

 

“In our communities, ICE is tearing apart families with impunity and democratic norms are being undermined in plain sight,” Kumar said. “This moment calls for more than rhetoric. It calls for someone who understands how to hold agencies accountable, how to use the law to protect people, and how to legislate in a way that reimagines what our country can do for working families.”

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A nationally recognized lawyer, Kumar has helped transform legal systems across multiple states, working with community members, stakeholders and public institutions to create better systems for delivering support and care to people. 

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Kumar also previously served as President of the South Asian Bar Association (SABA), where he led the country’s largest network of South Asian legal professionals. In that role, he advanced civil rights advocacy, expanded community-based legal services, and supported leadership development within the legal profession.

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Kumar is building a grassroots campaign across Brooklyn and Queens focused on accountability-driven leadership and community engagement.