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Ritchie Torres

U.S. House · NY-15 · Democrats · since 2025

also

Candidate for U.S. House · NY-15

Target Ritchie

Biography

Overview

Ritchie Torres is a Democratic U.S. Representative from New York's 15th congressional district, serving since 2021. Born March 12, 1988, in the Bronx, he is the first openly gay Afro-Latino member of Congress. Before his election to the House, he served on the New York City Council from 2014 to 2020, where he chaired the Committee on Public Housing. His district is the poorest in the United States by median income and has been held by Democrats (except for 11 months) since 1927.

Career

As a City Council member, Torres chaired the Public Housing Committee and helped secure millions in funding for housing cooperatives and renovations in his district. He led investigations into predatory lending in the taxi medallion market and the city's Third-Party Transfer program, which he documented as disproportionately targeting Black and brown property owners. He championed legal aid expansion for tenants facing eviction, transparency in gig worker tip practices, and cashless business restrictions to protect unbanked populations. In Congress, he has introduced legislation on affordable housing, healthcare access, and financial regulation. He has been a vocal pro-Israel advocate and has significantly shifted his political positions since 2020, moving away from progressive stances on police defunding and immigration.

Prior political experience

Torres was first elected to Congress in November 2020, winning the Democratic primary on June 23 with over $500,000 raised (compared to opponent Rubén Díaz Sr.'s $80,000). He won the general election and took office January 3, 2021, becoming the first openly gay Afro-Latino member of Congress alongside Mondaire Jones, who was elected to the 17th district. In 2024, he ran for reelection and successfully defeated Conservative Party candidate Gonzalo Duran (endorsed by Republicans). In November 2025, former Democratic National Committee vice chair Michael Blake announced a primary challenge to Torres for 2026, citing Torres's pro-Israel stance.

Biographical material adapted from the Wikipedia article (retrieved April 29, 2026), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Ideology

Liberal–Conservative (DW-NOMINATE dim 1)

Liberal
Conservative
119th Congress-0.310

Secondary axis (DW-NOMINATE dim 2)(?)

−1
+1
-0.094
Source: Voteview DW-NOMINATE · 334 scored votes

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Officeholding history

TermSeatTerm datesTerminationPredecessorSuccessor
3rdU.S. House NY-152025–presentIn progressRitchie Torres—
2ndU.S. House NY-152023–2025Term endedRitchie TorresRitchie Torres
1stU.S. House NY-152021–2023Term ended—Ritchie Torres

Committee assignments

  • Housing and Insurance
    House· 2025–present
  • Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence
    House· 2025–present
  • National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions
    House· 2025–present
  • House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party
    House· 2025–present
  • House Committee on Financial Services
    House· 2025–present

Current term legislation

Bills sponsored this term10

Bills cosponsored this term10

Elections

YearSeatResultVote shareField
——Pending——