Wikipedia

Ritchie Torres

Ritchie John Torres(born March 12, 1988) is an American politician fromNew York.[1][2]A member of theDemocratic Party,Torres is theU.S. representativeforNew York's 15th congressional district.[3]The district covers most of theSouth Bronxand is the poorest congressional district in the United States by median income[4]as well as one of the smallest districts by area in the country, covering only a few square miles.

Ritchie Torres
Torres in 2020
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives
fromNew York's15thdistrict
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2021
Preceded byJosé E. Serrano
Member of theNew York City Council
from the15thdistrict
In office
January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2020
Preceded byJoel Rivera
Succeeded byOswald Feliz
Personal details
Born
Ritchie John Torres

(1988-03-12)March 12, 1988(age 36)
The Bronx,New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationNew York University(attended)
WebsiteHouse website
Ritchie Torres's voice
Ritchie Torres speaks on health amongBlack Americans
Recorded March 7, 2022

Torres served as theNew York City Councilmember for the15th districtfrom 2013 to 2020. He was the firstopenly gaycandidate to be elected to legislative office in the Bronx, and the council's youngest member. Torres chaired the Committee on Public Housing and was a deputymajority leader.As chair of the Oversight and Investigations Committee he focused onpredatory lendingassociated withtaxi medallionprocurement and the city'sThird Party Transfer Program.In 2016, Torres was a delegate for theBernie Sanders campaign.[5]

In July 2019, Torres announced his bid forNew York's 15th congressional districtto succeed RepresentativeJosé E. Serrano.The district is one of the most Democratic-leaning congressional districts in the country.[citation needed]Torres won the November 2020 general election and assumed office on January 3, 2021.[6]This made him andMondaire Jonesthe first openly gay black men elected to Congress.[7]It also made Torres the first openly gayAfro-Latinoelected to Congress.[3]Torres was one of nine co-chairs of theCongressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucusin the117th United States Congress.[8]

Early life and education

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Ritchie Torres was born on March 12, 1988, inthe Bronx.[9]He is Puerto Rican. His father is Puerto Rican and his mother was born in the Bronx to Puerto Rican parents.[1]Torres was raisedCatholic.[10]

Torres was raised by his mother in Throggs Neck Houses, apublic housingproject in theThroggs Neckneighborhood of theEast Bronx,[11]where he was frequently hospitalized forasthmaas a result of the mold in their apartment.[12]Of growing up economically disadvantaged in "slum conditions", Torres has said, "I was raised by a single mother who had to raise three children onminimum wageand I lived in conditions of mold and vermin, lead and leaks. "[13]His mother raised him, his twin brother, and their sister.[1](Torres was upset by the $269 million city-subsidizedTrump Golf Linksbuilt "across the street" inFerry Point Parkrather than housing for struggling New Yorkers; the course was built on a landfill, took 14 years to be developed, and opened in 2015.[13][14]He vowed then to fight for their well-being.)[13]In junior high, Torres realized he wasgaybut did notcome out,fearinghomophobic violence.[15]He has described being "brutally assaulted" by a bully in the third grade.[10]

Torres attendedHerbert H. Lehman High School,served in the inaugural class of theCoroNew York Exploring Leadership Program, and later worked as an intern in the offices of the mayor and theattorney general.[16][17]Hecame outwhile asophomore"during a schoolwide forum onmarriage equality".[11]

Torres is one of a small minority of congressmen who does not hold a college degree.[10][18]He enrolled atNew York University,but dropped out at the beginning of his sophomore year, as he was suffering from severedepression.[17]He struggled withsuicidal thoughts based on his sexuality.[15]As he recovered, Torres resumed working for council memberJames Vacca,eventually becoming Vacca's housing director.[17]In that role, Torres conducted site inspections and documented conditions, ensuring housing issues were promptly and adequately addressed.[16][19]

New York City councilmember

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At 25 years old, Torres ran to succeedJoel Riveraas the councilmember for the15th districtof theNew York City Council.[20][21]The district includesAllerton,Belmont,Bronx Park,Claremont Village,Crotona Park,Fordham,Mount Eden,Mount Hope,Norwood,Parkchester,Tremont,Van Nest,West FarmsandWilliamsbridgeinthe Bronx.[16]

Ritchie Torres in 2015

When he won the Democratic nomination for New York city council, Torres became one of the firstopenly gaypolitical candidates inthe Bronxto win a Democratic nomination, and upon victory in the general election became the first openly gay public official in the Bronx.[22][23][1]Torres also served as a deputy leader of the city council.[24]

Public housing

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Upon his election, Torres requested the chairmanship of the council's committee on public housing, tasked with overseeing theNew York City Housing Authority(NYCHA);[25]as of July 2019, it is the "nation's largest public housing system", which "provides housing to more than 400,000 low-income residents" in "176,000 apartments across 325 complexes".[26]He made "the living conditions of the city's most underserved residents a signature priority".[27]In this role he helped secure $3 million for Concourse Village, Inc., a nearly 1,900-unit housing cooperative in theSouth Bronx.[27]According to2010 United States Censusdata the South Bronx is among the poorest districts in the nation.[13]The cooperative is subsidized by theMitchell-Lama Housing Program,offering "income-restricted rentals and below-market value buy-in for co-ops".[27]He also secured nearly $1 million torenovateDennis Lane Apartments, a Mitchell-Lama co-op in the heart of his district,[27]and "played a crucial role in exposing the city's failures to addresslead-paint contamination."[1]

In August 2019, along with fellow council memberVanessa Gibson,Torres announcedRight To Counsel 2.0,an expansion of legal aid to NYCHA tenants facingeviction.[28]Since the original law passed in 2017, providing legal help throughout the entire eviction case, the council has found 84% of tenants were able to stay in their homes.[28]The council members "say this will help keep families together and prevent displacement."[28]Torres said, "NYCHA is one of the worst evictees in the city... Not just one of the worst landlords, but one of the worst evictors. In 2018 alone, 838 families lost their homes in the hands of the NYCHA."[29]

Combating gig worker tip theft

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In April 2019, Torres worked on legislation aimed to compel companies that employgig workersto be transparent if the worker'stipsare diverted to pay base salary.[30]Mobile appdelivery companies, likeDoorDash—which has freelance workers pickup and deliver meals from restaurants—Amazon's Prime Now,andInstacart,usually allow customers to add a gratuity, but the companies were counting the tips toward regular payment.[30][31]Torres characterized the practice as exploiting "an underclass of independent contractors", and hopes the city council can ban the practice altogether.[30]Voxnoted the gig economy is in need of regulation for the estimated 57 million workers (in the U.S.) who have little protection, and few if any benefits.[31]Torres's bill would compel these companies to betransparentabout the practice "by explicitly stating it in theirterms of serviceor by sending a notification as a transaction is being approved ".[31]

Taxi medallion predatory loans

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As chair of the oversight and investigations committee, newly empowered in January 2018 by city council speakerCorey Johnson,[32]Torres said he had documentation that as early as 2010 theBloomberg administrationwas "aware that medallion prices could crumple",[33]a year beforeride hailingpioneerUberstartedits service in the city.Medallion prices dropped considerably in 2014, likely due to competition from ride-share companies.[34]Medallion owners sued the city and Uber in November 2015.[35]By 2017, 60,000 ride-share vehicles outnumbered medallion vehicles by almost 4 to 1,[36]and many medallion owners faced the prospect ofbankruptcyor severe debt because of the low medallion prices, which few were willing to pay.[34][37]Torres said the "medallion market collapse is acautionary tale"and" one of the greatest government scandals in the history of New York City ".[33]

In July 2019, the city council considered how to address thecity's taxicab industrywith theNational Taxi Workers' Alliance's concerns that theNYC Taxi and Limousine Commissionknowingly soldmedallionsat inflated prices, bringing in $1 billion in revenue to city government, while saddling "thousands of drivers with impossible debt loads", leading tosuicides.[33]

Cashless businesses

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In July 2019, Torres proposed legislation to address the movement in New York towardcashless business practicesat stores and restaurants.[38]He did so to preserve access for those who rely on cash for their purchases.[39]The businesses accept onlybank cardsande-commerce paymentsrather thanhard currency,in part for higher efficiency, possibly streamlining both cashiering, and accounting; and for security reasons, as having cash risks robbery.[38]According to theFederal Deposit Insurance Corporation,in 2017 16.9% of African-American households "and 14% of Latino households did not have a bank account"; 6.5% of all households did not have a bank account; and 18.7% with accounts also used non-insured institutions for financial transactions.[39]In New York City, 12% did not have bank accounts in 2013, including "domestic violence survivorswho don't wish to be traced and undocumented immigrants as some of those who may face significant challenges when opening bank accounts ".[38][40]They instead often usepayday loansandcheck cashing facilities.[40]Torres's proposal would fine noncompliant businesses, while allowing them to refuse currency higher than$20 bills.[38]It also prohibits charging more for using cash.[40]

Third-Party Transfer program

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In July 2019, Torres, as chair of the oversight and investigation committee, andRobert Cornegy,chair of the committees on housing and buildings, released a report from the joint committee that conducted a city councilforensicinvestigation into the city'sThird-Party Transfer(TPT) program.[41]The TPT was started in 1996 underGiuliani's administrationto let theDepartment of Housing and Preservation(HPD) transfer "derelict, tax-delinquent buildings to nonprofits that could rehabilitate and manage them", ostensibly for working-class people, freeing the city from ownership, or responsibility for tenants.[42]HPD followed a rule selecting "every other building in the same tax block with a lien—even for a few hundred dollars" —if even one was picked for TPT.[42]Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration characterized the TPT as a tool for taking over "distressed properties" in "blighted" areas ".[43]The report,[a]however, holds that characterization is in tension with its findings, which implicatemalfeasanceby both NYC's HPD and theDepartment of Finance(DOF), detailing how the agencies were "targeting and taking of numerous black and brown owned properties, and thus stripping these communities of millions of dollars of generational wealth".[41]According to Torres, "TPT is quite different from and far harsher than a typical foreclosure from the perspective of a property owner. If you are the target of a foreclosure, you get a share of the proceeds from the sale of your property. Under TPT, the city can completely strip you of all the equity in your property".[44]The TPT process strips the minority owner of the property and its value, and mitigates thesweat equityand resources invested—all with no compensation.[43]

LGBT advocacy

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Torres helped open the first homeless shelter for LGBT youth in the Bronx.[1]He also secured funds for senior centers to serve LGBT people in allfive NYC boroughs.[1]

Guns and gang violence

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In August 2019, Torres announced the city council was awarding $36.2 million for gun violence prevention and reduction.[45]He said shooting incidents in New York City were up from 413 in the first half of 2018 to 551 in the same period of 2019.[45]

U.S. House of Representatives

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Elections

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2020

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Main article:2020 United States House of Representatives elections in New York § District 15

Torres has said that he is "intent on advancing politically", and has been floated as a future candidate formayor of New York City.[46]His "goal is to be a national champion for theurban poor."[15]

In July 2019, Torres announced his candidacy for theU.S. House of RepresentativesforNew York's 15th congressional district.[47]In his announcement, Torres shared his history ofdepression.[1]Torres said he was seeking the office to pursue "his legislative passions of overhauling public housing and focusing on the issues of concentrated poverty".[48]The 15th congressional district is the nation's poorest in terms ofmedian income.[48]Torres said, "If you are on a mission to fightracially concentrated poverty... then you have to be a policymaker on the national stage ".[48]He favors maximizingsocial housingin the nation, including the ending of land-use bans of apartments,[further explanation needed]which he says will result in thereduction of carbon emissions,as well as increase affordable housing.[48]Torres came under criticism for his willingness to take real estate cash donations during his campaign.[49]

Torres's main opponent as he started campaigning in the Democratic primary wasRubén Díaz Sr.,[15]aconservative DemocratandPentecostal minister,who does not believe in, and openly stood in opposition to,same-sex marriage.[47][50]Media outlets contextualized the contest between the two, noting their age difference; contrasting levels of experience; and Torres's open homosexuality versus Díaz's track record ofanti-LGBT rhetoric.[47][48][51]Torres said he saw Díaz as "temperamentally and ideologically indistinguishable" fromDonald Trump.[1]According toThe New York Times,Díaz had "a decades-long history of makinghomophobicremarks ";[15]LGBTQ Nationsaid his anti-LGBT rhetoric started in the early 1990s, right after his start in city politics, when he claimed the city's hosting the1994 Gay Games"would spreadAIDSandcorrupt children".[51]In February 2019, Díaz said that the City Council was "controlled by homosexuals"; in response, the council dissolved a subcommittee he chaired.[13]As of July 2019,Torres had raised $500,000 and Díaz $80,000.[15]Torres was endorsed by theLGBTQ+ Victory Fundand theCongressional Equality Caucus(Equality PAC).[15]

The Democratic primary was held on June 23. Although an official winner had not yet been declared, Torres declared victory in the primary on July 22.[52][53][54]As the seat for which he was running is one of the safest Democratic seats in the country, he was expected to win the general election, after which he would become one of the first openly gay black Congressmen in U.S. history, along withMondaire Jonesin the 17th district.[55]On August 4, local election officials declared Torres the winner of the primary.[56][57]This all but assured him of being the next congressman from this heavily Democratic, Latino-majority district. The 15th and its predecessors have been in Democratic hands for all but 11 months since 1927, the lone break in this tradition beingAmerican Labor PartymemberLeo Isacsonfrom February 1948 to January 1949. It has been held by Latino congressmen since 1971.

2024

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Main article:2024 United States House of Representatives elections in New York § District 15

For the 2024 elections, Torres ran for reelection and successfully defeated Conservative Party candidate Gonzalo Duran, who was endorsed by the Republican Party. Duran, a U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant veteran of the Iraq War, serves as the CEO of a Devil Dog USA a nonprofit organization, the vice chairman of the Bronx Conservative Party and District Leader of the 79th Assembly District.[58][59][60]

Tenure

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Torres outside his office

Torres won the November general election. He took office on January 3, 2021.[6]Upon his swearing-in, he became the first openly gayAfro-Latin Americanmember of Congress.[61]

On August 6, 2021, Torres introduced H.R. 4980, which would "ensure that any individual traveling on a flight that departs from or arrives to an airport inside the United States or a territory of the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19."[62][63]

Torres voted with PresidentJoe Biden's stated position 100% of the time in the117th Congress,according to aFiveThirtyEightanalysis.[64]

Torres was among the 46 Democrats who voted against final passage of theFiscal Responsibility Act of 2023in the House.[65]He said his vote was motivated by the newSNAPrequirements included in the deal, which raised the work requirements from able-bodied adults under age 50 who do not live with any dependent children to adults under age 54, and the diversion of $20 billion in funding for theInternal Revenue Service.[66][67]

Political positions

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Torres says that he is a loyal Democrat and "generally in agreement with the planks of the Democratic platform."[10]

Environment

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Torres has voiced support for aGreen New Dealand was endorsed by theLeague of Conservation Votersin 2020. He suggested that public housing should be "a model for green and energy efficient buildings to help combat climate change while addressing its capital needs."[68]Torres has called theCross Bronx Expressway"a structure of environmental racism" and supports a plan to cover the highway withgreen space.[69]

Foreign policy

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Torres speaking at theIsraeli embassy to the United Statesin 2024

Torres has called himself "the embodiment of a pro-Israelprogressive ".[70]After winning election in 2020, he announced that he would not jointhe Squad,a group of left-wing Democratic representatives, due to their support of theBoycott, Divestment and Sanctions(BDS) movement. Torres has described his "revulsion" to the "extremism" of the BDS movement that he says questions the legitimacy and existence of Israel as a Jewish state.[10]He has contrasted BDS's stagnancy with what he called the "path to peace" presented by theAbraham Accords.[71]He supports atwo-state solutionfor Israel and Palestine.[72]Torres has said his first visit to Israel, led by theJewish Community Relations Councilin 2015, was a "life-changing experience".[10]

In 2023, Torres was among 56 Democrats to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21, which directed PresidentJoe Bidento remove U.S. troops fromSyriawithin 180 days.[73][74]

In July 2023, Torres was among 49 Democrats to break with PresidentJoe Biden,by voting for a ban oncluster munitionstoUkraine.[75][76]

In November 2023, Torres rejected calls for a ceasefire in theIsrael–Hamas war.He called claims that Israel is committinggenocide against Palestiniansin theGaza Stripa "blood libel".[77]

On November 7, 2023, Torres was one of 22 House Democrats who voted successfully tocensureRashida Tlaib,passing a resolution that accused her of, "...promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack," as well as criticized, in particular, her use of the slogan "from the river to the sea".[78]In explaining why he voted for the censure, Torres wrote onTwitter,“Congress has a right to take a principled stand against hate speech calling for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish nation-state.”[79]

Torres voted in favor of three military aid package supplementals forUkraine,Israel,andTaiwanrespectively in April 2024, along with most Democrats.[80][81][82]In a statement after the vote, he said "The US has a singular obligation to help freedom fighters fight for their freedom, and nowhere more so than in Ukraine, whose self-defense against Putin’s aggression must prevail."[83]

Cryptocurrency

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Torres is viewed as an ally of thecryptocurrencyindustry.[84]He is a member of theCongressional Blockchain Caucusand has been a prominent critic ofSECchairGary Gensler's "regulation by enforcement" strategy towards cryptocurrencies.[85][86]

Memberships

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Committee assignments

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Caucuses

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Personal life

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Torres was raisedCatholicbut says he is not practicing while still believing in God.[10]

Electoral history

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Election history
Location Year Election Results
NYC Council
District 15 		2013 Democratic Primary YRitchie Torres 36.12%
Joel Rivera 21.39%
Cynthia Thompkins 20.97%
Albert Alvarez 8.99%
Raquel E. Batista 7.42%
Joel M. Bauza 5.11%
NYC Council
District 15 		2013 General YRitchie Torres (D) 91.15%
Joel Rivera (R) 7.19%
Joel M. Bauza (Conservative) 1.46%
NYC Council
District 15 		2017 General YRitchie Torres (D/WF) 93.6%
Jayson Cancel (R/C) 6.3%
United States Congress
New York's 15th congressional district 		2020 Democratic Primary YRitchie Torres 29.44%
Michael Blake 18.74%
Ruben Diaz Sr. 14.30%
Samelys López 12.77%
Ydanis Rodríguez 11.02%

Notes

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  1. ^Taking Stock: A look Into The Third Party Transfer Program in Modern Day New York

See also

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References

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  57. ^"Six weeks later, election officials declare winners in two N.Y. Democratic primaries".The Washington Post.August 4, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on August 5, 2020.RetrievedAugust 5,2020.
  58. ^MOLONEY, SÍLE (November 4, 2024)."Elections 2024: Ritchie Torres on Fighting for The Bronx, Challenges in D.C. & Gaza".{{cite news}}:CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  59. ^MOLONEY, SÍLE (November 4, 2024)."UPDATE Elections 2024: Gonzalo Duran on Transparency, Accountability & Leadership".{{cite news}}:CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  60. ^Gonzalez, Izania (November 15, 2024)."Bronx democrats vow to stand by their constituents amid national political shift".{{cite news}}:CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  61. ^Byrne, Robert."Victory Fund Endorses Ritchie Torres for US Congress; Faces Anti-LGBTQ Opponent in Effort to Become First LGBTQ Afro-Latinx Member of Congress".LGBTQ Victory Fund.Archivedfrom the original on July 30, 2019.RetrievedJuly 30,2019.
  62. ^Downing, Suzanne (August 15, 2021)."Congressman files bill to make vaccines mandatory for commercial flight".Must Read Alaska.RetrievedAugust 26,2021.
  63. ^Torres, Ritchie (August 6, 2021)."Actions - H.R.4980 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that any individual traveling on a flight that departs from or arrives to an airport inside the United States or a territory of the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and for other purposes".www.congress.gov.RetrievedAugust 26,2021.
  64. ^Bycoffe, Aaron; Wiederkehr, Anna (April 22, 2021)."Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?".FiveThirtyEight.RetrievedNovember 15,2023.
  65. ^Gans, Jared (May 31, 2023)."Republicans and Democrats who bucked party leaders by voting no".The Hill.RetrievedJune 6,2023.
  66. ^Destra, Shantel; Holmberg, Eric (May 31, 2023)."Update: How New York members of Congress voted on the debt ceiling deal".City & State.RetrievedDecember 26,2023.
  67. ^Ritchie, Torres (June 11, 2023)."Forced 'debt ceiling' bill is fraud".Riverdale Press.RetrievedDecember 26,2023.
  68. ^"This week's primaries bode well for the Green New Deal".Grist.June 25, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 5,2022.
  69. ^"The plan to transform one of New York City's dirtiest freeways into green space".the Guardian.November 30, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 5,2022.
  70. ^Kornbluh, Jacob(December 5, 2019)."Ritchie Torres: 'I am the embodiment of a pro-Israel progressive'".Jewish Insider.RetrievedFebruary 5,2022.
  71. ^Radosh, Robert."Saving Israel for Democrats."Sapir Journal.Spring 2022. 25 May 2022.
  72. ^Samuels, Ben (December 21, 2020)."'Pro-Israel Progressive' Ritchie Torres Won't Join AOC's Squad Due to BDS Stance ".Haaretz.RetrievedFebruary 5,2022.
  73. ^"H.Con.Res. 21: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of… -- House Vote #136 -- Mar 8, 2023".March 8, 2023.
  74. ^"House Votes Down Bill Directing Removal of Troops From Syria".Associated Press. March 8, 2023.
  75. ^Fortinsky, Sarah (July 14, 2023)."Almost 50 Democrats snub Biden with vote against cluster bombs for Ukraine".The Hill.RetrievedDecember 27,2023.
  76. ^"H.Amdt. 243 (Greene) to H.R. 2670: To prohibit cluster munitions or cluster munitions technology be sold or transferred to Ukraine.-- House Vote #317 -- Jul 13, 2023".
  77. ^"Two Young Democratic Stars Collide Over Israel and Their Party's Future".The New York Times.November 11, 2023.
  78. ^Guo, Kayla (November 7, 2023)."House Censures Rashida Tlaib, Citing 'River to the Sea' Slogan".The New York Times.RetrievedNovember 11,2023.
  79. ^Papp, Justin (November 7, 2023)."House censures Rep. Rashida Tlaib over response to Israel-Hamas war".rollcall.com.Roll Call.RetrievedDecember 25,2023.
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  82. ^Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (April 20, 2024)."Roll Call 146 Roll Call 146, Bill Number: H. R. 8036, 118th Congress, 2nd Session".Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives.RetrievedApril 22,2024.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  83. ^"Congress passes bill that could unlock billions in frozen Russian assets for Ukraine".NBC News.April 20, 2024.RetrievedApril 22,2024.
  84. ^"Ritchie Torres went from crypto 'newbie' to key ally in Washington. Now he could shape the industry's post-FTX future".
  85. ^"Members | Congressional Blockchain Caucus".July 13, 2023.
  86. ^"N.Y.'s Torres Asks if SEC Will Ease up on Cryptocurrencies".Forbes.
  87. ^"Pelosi Announces Exclusive Committee Assignments for 117th Congress".Speaker Nancy Pelosi.December 17, 2020.
  88. ^"Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party - 118th Congress Profile".
  89. ^"Caucus Membrs".US House of Representatives.RetrievedJanuary 3,2021.
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Political offices
Preceded by Member of theNew York City Council
from the15th district
2014–2020 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of theU.S. House of Representatives
fromNew York's 15th congressional district
2021–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence(ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
337th 		Succeeded by
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