Ritchie Torres facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ritchie Torres
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Official portrait, 2021
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 15th district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | José E. Serrano |
| Member of the New York City Council from the 15th district |
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| In office January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Joel Rivera |
| Succeeded by | Oswald Feliz |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ritchie John Torres
March 12, 1988 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | New York University (attended) |
| Website | |
Ritchie John Torres (born March 12, 1988) is an American politician. Since 2021, he has been a U.S. representative for New York's 15th congressional district. This means he helps make laws for the United States in the House of Representatives. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
His district covers a large part of the South Bronx in New York City. It is one of the smallest districts in the country by area. Before joining Congress, Torres was a member of the New York City Council from 2014 to 2020.
When Torres was elected to Congress, he and Mondaire Jones became the first openly gay Black men to serve in the U.S. Congress. Torres is also the first openly gay Afro-Latino person elected to Congress.
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Early Life and Education
Ritchie Torres was born on March 12, 1988, in the Bronx, a borough of New York City. His father is from Puerto Rico, and his mother is a New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent.
He was raised by his single mother in a public housing project called Throggs Neck Houses. Growing up with little money, he lived in an apartment with mold that often made him sick with asthma. He said these difficult living conditions inspired him to fight for people in his community.
Torres attended Herbert H. Lehman High School. He later went to New York University but left to focus on his health. After recovering, he began working for City Council member James Vacca. As Vacca's housing director, Torres inspected buildings to make sure they were safe and clean for residents.
New York City Council Career
At age 25, Torres was elected to the New York City Council in 2013. He represented the 15th district in the Bronx. He was the youngest member of the council and the first openly gay public official elected in the Bronx.
Working for Better Public Housing
Torres became the chairman of the council's Committee on Public Housing. This committee oversees the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), which provides homes for over 400,000 people with low incomes. He worked to get millions of dollars to repair and improve housing complexes in the Bronx. He also helped expose problems with lead paint in city apartments.
Helping Workers and Residents
Torres focused on several other issues to help New Yorkers.
- Tip Protection: He wrote a law to stop food delivery companies from using workers' tips to pay their base salary. This helped make sure workers kept all the money customers gave them as tips.
- Taxi Driver Debt: He investigated why many taxi drivers went into debt after buying expensive permits called "medallions." He found that the city knew the price of medallions might crash but continued to sell them at high prices.
- Cashless Stores: He proposed a law to require businesses to accept cash. This was to help people who do not have bank accounts, so they could still buy things at any store or restaurant.
U.S. House of Representatives
In 2019, Torres decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. He wanted to work on national issues like poverty and housing. He won the election in November 2020 and took office on January 3, 2021.
Work in Congress
As a congressman, Torres has focused on many issues. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he introduced a bill to require travelers on U.S. flights to be vaccinated. He also voted against a bill that changed the rules for the SNAP (food stamps) because he felt it would hurt people in need.
In 2025, Torres introduced a bill called The B.O.D.E.G.A. Act. This law would help small stores, like bodegas, get panic buttons and security cameras to protect them from crime.
Committee Work
Torres serves on the Committee on Financial Services. This committee deals with banks, housing, and the economy. He is part of subcommittees that focus on digital money like cryptocurrency, housing, and national security.
Caucuses
A caucus is a group of members of Congress who share a common interest. Torres is a member of several caucuses, including:
- Congressional Black Caucus
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus
- Congressional Equality Caucus (which he co-chairs)
- Congressional Blockchain Caucus
Political Views
Torres is a loyal Democrat who generally agrees with his party's goals. Over time, his political views have moved more toward the center.
- Environment: Torres supports the Green New Deal, a plan to fight climate change. He wants to make public housing more energy-efficient. He also supports a plan to build parks and green spaces over the Cross Bronx Expressway, which he calls a form of "environmental racism."
- Foreign Policy: Torres has voted for military aid to help Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. He believes the U.S. should help other countries defend their freedom.
- Israel: Torres is a strong supporter of Israel. He has described himself as a "pro-Israel progressive." He supports a two-state solution, where both Israelis and Palestinians would have their own countries. He has spoken out against the BDS movement, which he believes unfairly targets Israel.
- Police: In 2020, Torres supported the idea of "defunding the police," which meant moving money from police departments to social services. By 2022, he changed his position, saying the movement was not popular and that most Democrats never supported it.
Personal Life
Torres was raised in the Catholic faith but is not a practicing member.
Electoral History
| Election history | |||
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| Location | Year | Election | Results |
| NYC Council District 15 |
2013 | Democratic Primary |  Ritchie 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% |
| General | Ritchie Torres (D) 91.15% Joel Rivera (R) 7.19% Joel M. Bauza (Conservative) 1.46% |
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| 2017 | General | Ritchie Torres (D/WF) 93.6% Jayson Cancel (R/C) 6.3% |
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| United States Congress New York's 15th congressional district |
2020 | Democratic Primary | Ritchie Torres 29.44% Michael Blake 18.74% Ruben Diaz Sr. 14.30% Samelys López 12.77% Ydanis Rodríguez 11.02% |
| General | Ritchie Torres (D) 88.88% Patrick Delices (R/C) 11.12% |
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| 2022 | General | Ritchie Torres (D) 82.70% Stylo Sapaskis (R) 17.19% |
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| 2024 | General | Ritchie Torres (D) 76.48% Gonzalo Duran (R/C) 21.12% Jose Vega (Independent) 2.40% |
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See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
- List of LGBT people from New York City
- LGBT culture in New York City
- Nuyorican
- NYC Pride March
- Puerto Ricans in New York City
