Ballotpedia

The New Yorker: Fighting for the Poor Under Trump

Ritchie previously worked as the housing director for a city councilor.

Ritchie Torres Press

Ritchie Torres currently serves as the US Representative for Congressional District 15. He was elected in 2020 and is serving his 2nd term. He previously served 2 terms as a member of the New York City Council from 2014-2020. He is the first openly LGBTQ+ Afro-Latino Member of Congress. 

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Wants to expand access to safe and affordable housing.

Opposes tax reduction for wealthy citizens. 

Said, "A strong economy requires thoughtful, equitable policies, not Trump's short-sighted approach."

- Wants to expand access to safe and affordable housing.
- Opposes tax reduction for wealthy citizens. 
- Said, "A strong economy requires thoughtful, equitable policies, not Trump's short-sighted approach."

Economy

As a US Representative, Torres passed a bill mandating financial institutions to compile and maintain specific data on applications for credit from LGBTQ-owned businesses, which codifies the term “LGBTQ-owned business”

- Supports LGBTQ+ rights.
- As a US Representative, Torres passed a bill mandating financial institutions to compile and maintain specific data on applications for credit from LGBTQ-owned businesses, which codifies the term “LGBTQ-owned business”

Public Safety

Opposes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed payment rule for 2025, believing it will reduce access to home health services for seniors, disabled individuals, and vulnerable populations.

Supports establishing  a universal healthcare program, like Medicare for All that adds dental, vision, prescription drugs, women’s reproductive health services, maternity and newborn care, long term services among other services.

- Opposes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed payment rule for 2025, believing it will reduce access to home health services for seniors, disabled individuals, and vulnerable populations.
- Supports establishing  a universal healthcare program, like Medicare for All that adds dental, vision, prescription drugs, women’s reproductive health services, maternity and newborn care, long term services among other services.

Healthcare

The CIty: Rep. Ritchie Torres Decries ‘Shocking’ Disparities That Cut NYC Out of Green Bonds

Believes NYC did not receive a proportional share of state funding for infrastructure and environmental projects. 

- Believes NYC did not receive a proportional share of state funding for infrastructure and environmental projects. 

Energy & the Environment

Jewish Insider: Ritchie Torres: ‘I am the embodiment of a pro-Israel progressive’

Says he is "pro-Israel" and that aid to Israel should be unconditional.

Supports creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US as children and those with  Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and who are Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders.

- Says he is "pro-Israel" and that aid to Israel should be unconditional.
- Supports creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US as children and those with  Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and who are Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders.

Foreign Policy and Immigration

Sponsored legislation that would require congressional candidates to file information about their education, employment, and military service and create penalties for providing false information.

- Sponsored legislation that would require congressional candidates to file information about their education, employment, and military service and create penalties for providing false information.

Voting & Elections

Representative Ritchie Torres

Co-sponsored legislation that would increase the number of mental health providers in schools.

Said children "must be provided the opportunity to learn about the incredible contributions and significant impacts of so many heroic trailblazers in the LGBTQI+ and women’s movement."

Supports canceling as much as $50,000 in student debt for federal student loan borrowers and extending the interest reduction on student loans as a form of pandemic relief.

- Co-sponsored legislation that would increase the number of mental health providers in schools.
- Said children "must be provided the opportunity to learn about the incredible contributions and significant impacts of so many heroic trailblazers in the LGBTQI+ and women’s movement."
- Supports canceling as much as $50,000 in student debt for federal student loan borrowers and extending the interest reduction on student loans as a form of pandemic relief.

Education

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Ritchie Torres

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Gonzalo was born in the Belmont area of the Bronx. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School and holds a bachelor's degree in pre-medicine from Fordham University. 

Gonzalo is the CEO of Devil Dog USA Incorporated. He previously worked as an administrator for the Bronx Department of Veterans Affairs and as a veterans benefits counselor for Single Stop USA. Gonzalo served as a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps for 8 years. 

Ballotpedia, Gonzalo Duran

Gonzalo Duran previously ran for member of the New York City Council in District 17 in 2023, but he did not win. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Bronx County Conservative Party.

Candidate website

Believes local businesses are essential to communities and provide important job opportunities for residents.

Believes local businesses are essential to communities and "give many residents their first experiences in having a job."

Supports tax breaks for local businesses.

Supports tax reductions for local businesses.

Supports limiting funding to transportation agencies and ensuring funds are used for demonstrated system improvements.

Wants to limit funding for transportation agencies and ensure funds are used for "demonstrated" system improvements.

Supports continuing participatory budgeting, which allows residents to vote on how tax dollars are spent, and aims to increase community participation.

Supports continuing "participatory budgeting," to allow residents to vote on how tax dollars are spent and increase participation in the community. 

Supports the Citywide Ferry Service and wants to expand it to more parts of the Bronx.

Supports the Citywide Ferry Service and wants to expand it to more neighborhoods in the Bronx.

Wants to provide veterans with documentation approved by the city acknowledging the amount of money they have received and include a time line of the educational benefits they have.

- Believes local businesses are essential to communities and "give many residents their first experiences in having a job."
- Supports tax reductions for local businesses.
- Wants to limit funding for transportation agencies and ensure funds are used for "demonstrated" system improvements.
- Supports continuing "participatory budgeting," to allow residents to vote on how tax dollars are spent and increase participation in the community. 
- Supports the Citywide Ferry Service and wants to expand it to more neighborhoods in the Bronx.
- Wants to provide veterans with documentation approved by the city acknowledging the amount of money they have received and include a time line of the educational benefits they have.

Believes in increasing the number of New York Police Department (NYPD) officers and surveillance in areas with high crime rates.

Supports encouraging non-profits to provide safe spaces for youth after school.

Supports creating youth programs to foster relationships between police and community members.

Supports opening up communication between police and community members through forums and town halls.

Supports allocating budget funds to provide monetary help towards non-profit, no-kill animal shelters and local Bronx animal rescue groups.

- Believes in increasing the number of New York Police Department (NYPD) officers and surveillance in areas with high crime rates.
- Supports encouraging non-profits to provide safe spaces for youth after school.
- Supports creating youth programs to foster relationships between police and community members.
- Supports opening up communication between police and community members through forums and town halls.
- Supports allocating budget funds to provide monetary help towards non-profit, no-kill animal shelters and local Bronx animal rescue groups.

Supports increasing funding for vouchers (Health Bucks for SNAP/EBT) to provide public assistance recipients with access to healthier foods.

Supports teaching healthy living in schools by introducing cooking and nutrition classes.

Supports introducing cooking and nutrition classes in schools. 

Supports locating and addressing "food deserts" by denying bids from fast food corporations and prioritizing supermarkets that offer healthy, affordable food.

- Supports increasing funding for vouchers (Health Bucks for SNAP/EBT) to provide public assistance recipients with access to healthier foods.
- Supports introducing cooking and nutrition classes in schools. 
- Supports locating and addressing "food deserts" by denying bids from fast food corporations and prioritizing supermarkets that offer healthy, affordable food.

Wants to improve current green spaces, like parks, and encourage the formation of more community gardens.

Wants to improve access to current green spaces, like parks, and encourage building more community gardens .

Supports extending nutritional education and agricultural development to adults and families through community and family gardening initiatives.

Supports extending nutritional education and agricultural development to adults and families through nutritional education and agricultural land development. 

Supports programs like Partnerships for Parks to create opportunities for children to learn about environmental conservation.

- Wants to improve access to current green spaces, like parks, and encourage building more community gardens .
- Supports extending nutritional education and agricultural development to adults and families through nutritional education and agricultural land development. 
- Supports programs like Partnerships for Parks to create opportunities for children to learn about environmental conservation.

As of June 7, 2025, Gonzalo Duran’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Wants to increase voter registration, public position applications, and community board participation.

Wants to increase voter registration, number of public position applicants, and participation in community boards. 

Believes constituents feel unheard and ignored by politicians, leading to widespread voter apathy and disengagement.

Believes constituents feel "unheard and...ignored" by politicians, leading to widespread voter apathy and disengagement.

- Wants to increase voter registration, number of public position applicants, and participation in community boards. 
- Believes constituents feel "unheard and...ignored" by politicians, leading to widespread voter apathy and disengagement.

Believes class sizes should be kept at a reasonable level.

Believes class sizes should be kept at a "reasonable level."

Believes schools should include environmental awareness in their curriculum.

Believes standardized testing should be reduced, saying it "has taken over the curriculum where learning is heavily interrupted."

Believes high school and college education systems fail to prepare students for each other, and that increasing funding only exacerbates existing issues due to disproportionate distribution.

Believes high school and college education systems fail to prepare students and that more funding only exacerbates existing issues due to disproportionate distribution.

- Believes class sizes should be kept at a "reasonable level."
- Believes schools should include environmental awareness in their curriculum.
- Believes standardized testing should be reduced, saying it "has taken over the curriculum where learning is heavily interrupted."
- Believes high school and college education systems fail to prepare students and that more funding only exacerbates existing issues due to disproportionate distribution.

Gonzalo Duran

Ballotpedia: Jose Vega

Jose attended Bronx Community College. He is a Christian. 

Jose is a political organizer for the LaRouche Institute. He previously worked as a barista.

Jose Vega's campaign for US representative in Congressional District 15 is his first run for public office.

Supports the immediate re-enactment of the Glass-Steagall Law, which separated commercial and investment banking.

- Supports the immediate re-enactment of the Glass-Steagall Law, which separated commercial and investment banking.
- Wants to rebuild the Bronx.

Supports community development to enhance public safety.

As of June 7, 2025, Jose Vega’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Supports creating the "Space Civilian Construction Corps (CCC)" to improve infrastructure, address youth employment and skills gaps, and generate a new generation of qualified engineers, by integrating efforts with the Army Corps of Engineers and NASA.

Supports creating the "Space Civilian Construction Corps (CCC)" to improve infrastructure, address youth employment and skills gaps, and develop a new generation of engineers in the Bronx.

- Supports creating the "Space Civilian Construction Corps (CCC)" to improve infrastructure, address youth employment and skills gaps, and develop a new generation of engineers in the Bronx.

Supports an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as a way to resolve Israeli and Palestinian conflict. 

- Supports an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as a way to resolve Israeli and Palestinian conflict. 

Jose Vega

- Your US Representative represents the interests of your district in the US House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress. New York currently has 26 US Representatives.
- US Representatives can author, sponsor, debate, and vote on bills that become national law.
- Representatives may serve on congressional committees. Committees focus on certain policy areas, such as transportation, education, or labor. They may also run for higher positions within their party, such as the Speaker of the House or Majority/Minority Leader.
- Representatives are elected to two-year terms. To hold this office, a candidate must be a US Citizen for at least seven years before their election and a New York resident. US Representatives are paid a salary of $174,000/year.