Ritchie Torres

Ritchie Torres
Born	Ritchie John Torres 12 3, 1988
Birthplace	New York City, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician
Title	U.S. Representative from New York's 15th congressional district
Known for	First openly gay Afro-Latino elected to Congress
Education	New York University (attended)
Website	[ritchietorres.house.gov Official site]

Ritchie John Torres (born March 12, 1988) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 15th congressional district since January 3, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Torres represents a South Bronx–based district that is among the most Democratic-leaning congressional districts in the United States. Before entering Congress, he served on the New York City Council from 2014 to 2020, representing the council's 15th district. Torres's election to Congress in November 2020, alongside Mondaire Jones, made both men the first openly gay Black men elected to Congress; Torres also became the first openly gay Afro-Latino to serve in the body. Raised in public housing in the Bronx, Torres entered elected office at the age of 25 and quickly established himself as a legislator focused on public housing conditions, oversight of city agencies, consumer protections for gig economy workers, and the rights of senior tenants. In Congress, he has introduced legislation addressing housing, financial savings, prediction market regulation, and immigration enforcement transparency. Torres has also drawn attention for his outspoken pro-Israel advocacy, which has generated both support and criticism within the Democratic Party.

Early Life

Ritchie John Torres was born on March 12, 1988, in New York City and grew up in the Bronx. He was raised in public housing, an experience that profoundly shaped his political outlook and later legislative priorities. Torres has spoken publicly about the challenges of growing up in one of the poorest congressional districts in the country, where residents faced persistent poverty, inadequate housing conditions, and limited economic opportunity.

Torres is of Afro-Latino heritage. He came out as gay at a young age and has discussed the intersection of his racial, ethnic, and sexual identities as formative in his approach to public life. His background as a gay man of color from public housing in the South Bronx became a central element of his public identity and political narrative, distinguishing him from many of his peers in New York City politics.

Torres became politically engaged at a relatively young age, drawn to activism and public service as a way to address the systemic issues he witnessed in his community. His upbringing in the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) system later became the foundation for his legislative work on public housing oversight and reform, both in the City Council and in Congress.

Education

Torres attended New York University but did not complete his degree. Despite not finishing his undergraduate education, he entered public service at a young age, winning a seat on the New York City Council at 25. His lack of a college degree became a point of discussion during his early political career, as Torres was among the youngest members of the Council at the time of his election.

Career

New York City Council (2014–2020)

Torres first ran for the New York City Council in 2013, seeking to represent the Council's 15th district in the Bronx. His candidacy received the endorsement of the Bronx borough president, bolstering his campaign in a competitive Democratic primary. Torres won the primary and subsequent general election with broad institutional support, taking office on January 1, 2014, succeeding Joel Rivera. At age 25, Torres was among the youngest members of the Council and its first openly gay elected official from the Bronx.

During his tenure on the City Council, Torres chaired the Committee on Public Housing, a role in which he conducted oversight of NYCHA and its management of the city's public housing stock. He pressed for improvements to living conditions in public housing developments across the city and was involved in efforts that led to changes in NYCHA leadership. In 2019, Torres played a role in the appointment of Gregory Russ as NYCHA chairman, part of a broader push to reform the authority after years of mismanagement and deteriorating conditions.

Torres also served as chair of the Oversight and Investigations Committee, where he focused on predatory lending practices associated with taxi medallion procurement and investigated the city's Third Party Transfer Program. These investigations drew attention to the financial exploitation of immigrant taxi drivers who had taken on large debts to purchase medallions whose value subsequently collapsed.

In addition to his committee work, Torres served as a deputy majority leader of the City Council, a leadership position that reflected his growing influence within the body.

Consumer Protection and Gig Economy Legislation

Torres took an interest in the regulation of app-based delivery services and the gig economy. In April 2019, he advocated for consumer protections related to platforms such as DoorDash and Postmates, addressing concerns about how tips and fees were handled by these companies.

Senior Tenant Protections

Torres championed legislation to expand legal protections for senior tenants facing potential eviction. In 2019, a legal assistance expansion he supported was highlighted in coverage of NYCHA seniors who feared displacement from their homes.

2016 Presidential Primary

In 2016, Torres served as a delegate for the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign during the Democratic primary, aligning himself with the progressive wing of the party at that time.

2020 Congressional Campaign

In July 2019, Torres announced his candidacy for New York's 15th congressional district, seeking to succeed longtime Representative José E. Serrano, who had announced he would not seek reelection. The race attracted significant attention because it pitted Torres against Rubén Díaz Sr., a socially conservative City Council member who had made anti-gay remarks. Torres, who is openly gay, described the race as "personal," framing it in part as a contest over LGBTQ rights and representation.

The campaign drew national coverage and endorsements from LGBTQ advocacy organizations. The Victory Fund, a political action committee that supports LGBTQ candidates, endorsed Torres's candidacy. Torres also highlighted the community development funding he had secured during his time on the City Council as evidence of his effectiveness as a representative.

Torres won the crowded Democratic primary in June 2020 and then won the November 2020 general election in the overwhelmingly Democratic district. He assumed office on January 3, 2021, succeeding Serrano. His election, alongside that of Mondaire Jones in New York's 17th congressional district, made both men the first openly gay Black members of Congress. Torres was also the first openly gay Afro-Latino elected to Congress.

U.S. House of Representatives (2021–present)

Committee Assignments and Caucus Memberships

Upon entering Congress, Torres served as one of nine co-chairs of the Congressional Equality Caucus (previously known as the Congressional LGBTQ+ Caucus) during the 117th United States Congress. He also served as a co-chair of the Congressional Albanian Issues Caucus during the same Congress.

Legislative Activity

In Congress, Torres has introduced and supported legislation across a range of policy areas, including housing, financial regulation, immigration enforcement, and consumer protection.

In 2026, Torres's bipartisan Helping More Families Save Act, introduced with Congressman William Timmons, passed the House as part of a major housing package. The legislation was designed to help families build savings.

Torres introduced legislation aimed at cracking down on insider trading on prediction markets in response to a suspicious trade on the platform Polymarket that preceded a U.S. government operation involving Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. According to Torres's office, a new account on Polymarket had placed a bet of over $30,000 on an outcome related to Maduro shortly before the operation became public, raising concerns about possible insider knowledge.

Torres also introduced the Quick Response Act (QR Act) to increase transparency and accountability in immigration enforcement.

Community Funding

Torres has secured federal funding for projects in his district. In 2026, his office announced that $18.624 million in Fiscal Year 2026 Community Project Funding had been secured for the Bronx.

South Bronx Advocacy

Torres has publicly called on New York City to address the open-air drug market in the Hub, a major commercial and transit area in the South Bronx. In a July 2025 statement, his office said he had been "sounding the alarm about the sheer persistence" of the drug market and called on the city to take decisive action to clean up the area.

Pro-Israel Advocacy

Torres has become one of the most outspoken pro-Israel voices in the Democratic caucus. His advocacy for Israel has drawn attention particularly in the context of the Israel–Hamas war that began in 2023. Torres has faced criticism from progressive activists and organizations opposed to Israel's military conduct in Gaza. This stance has become a central issue in his political identity and has prompted primary challenges from opponents who have cited his Israel position as a point of contention.

2026 Primary Challenge

Torres has faced primary challenges related to his pro-Israel stance and broader policy positions. In November 2025, former New York State Assemblyman Michael Blake announced a primary challenge, focusing on Torres's support for Israel and what Blake described as Torres's distance from the progressive positions expected of a representative of the South Bronx. Additionally, Dalourny Nemorin, a public defender and Democratic Socialists of America organizer, announced a challenge to Torres, arguing that the congressman was "focused more on his donors than serving his constituents."

State of the Union Guest

In February 2026, Torres invited Reverend John Udo-Okon, a South Bronx pastor and community advocate, as his guest to the State of the Union address. Torres's office described Udo-Okon as someone who "works every day with families navigating poverty, food insecurity" in the district.

Personal Life

Torres is openly gay and is of Afro-Latino descent. He grew up in public housing in the Bronx. His identity as an openly gay Black Latino man has been a significant aspect of his public profile, both in New York City politics and on the national stage. Torres has spoken about the challenges of navigating the intersection of his racial, ethnic, and sexual identities, particularly in the context of representing a district with a large Latino and African American population.

His election to Congress in 2020 made him, alongside Mondaire Jones, one of the first two openly gay Black men to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Torres was also the first openly gay Afro-Latino member of Congress.

Recognition

Torres's 2020 election to Congress was recognized as a milestone in LGBTQ political representation. The Victory Fund, an organization that supports LGBTQ candidates for public office, endorsed his congressional campaign and cited his election as a breakthrough for representation of LGBTQ people of color at the federal level.

During his time on the City Council, Torres was profiled by national media outlets. Newsweek featured him in a profile headlined "Ritchie Torres: Gay, Hispanic, and Powerful," highlighting his rapid rise in New York City politics. The New Yorker profiled Torres in December 2016 as a young elected official fighting for low-income constituents during the early days of the Trump presidency. His 2019 congressional campaign launch was covered by The New Yorker, The New York Times, NBC News, and other national outlets.

Legacy

Torres's career represents a significant development in the political representation of LGBTQ people of color in the United States. As the first openly gay Afro-Latino member of Congress, his election in 2020 expanded the diversity of the U.S. House of Representatives in a manner noted by political observers and advocacy organizations alike. His path from public housing in the Bronx to the U.S. Congress at a relatively young age has been cited in media coverage as illustrative of the changing demographics and political dynamics of the South Bronx and New York City more broadly.

His legislative focus on public housing reform, beginning with his chairmanship of the City Council's Committee on Public Housing and continuing in Congress, has placed sustained attention on the conditions faced by residents of NYCHA developments. Torres's oversight work on taxi medallion predatory lending also contributed to a broader public reckoning with the financial exploitation of immigrant taxi drivers in New York City.

Torres's pro-Israel advocacy within the Democratic Party has positioned him at the center of an ongoing debate within the party over Middle East policy, particularly following the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war in 2023. His willingness to break with progressive allies on this issue has made him a polarizing figure within the Democratic coalition, attracting both financial support from pro-Israel donors and opposition from left-wing activists and organizations.