by Michelle Mullen

With Democratic primaries approaching, voters will soon decide who will represent New York’s 15th Congressional District.

The district stretches across much of the Bronx, including greater Riverdale and the South Bronx. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres is seeking another term against challengers Michael Blake and Jose Vega.

The Press interviewed each candidate on key community issues ahead of the June 23 contest.

 

U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres has represented the 15th Congressional District since 2021, becoming the first openly LGBTQ+ Black and Latino member of Congress. Prior to his election, Torres served on the New York City Council and chaired the Committee on Public Housing.

Raised in public housing, Torres said his experiences are the foundation of his public service. As a city council member he focused on conditions in NYCHA developments. In Congress, he said, he advocated for federal investment in public housing and public hospitals.

Affordability and public safety, Torres told The Press, are the district’s most pressing challenges.

Torres is focused on lowering the overall cost of living for residents. He pointed to a report issued by his office examining disparities in utility costs and called for reforms that would reduce energy expenses for consumers.

Much of his agenda centers on reduced housing costs through expanded federal housing vouchers, increasing access to homeownership and reforming credit scoring systems to account for rent payments.

Discussing healthcare, Torres highlighted accomplishments during his time in office, including securing funding for the city’s public hospital system and advocacy against efforts to move retirees from traditional Medicare coverage.

In North Riverdale, where Skyview Shopping Center lost a neighborhood supermarket with the closure of Key Food, Torres said he worked with other elected officials to help bring in a replacement grocery store, a Fine Fare set to open later this year.

Looking ahead, Torres said his focus remains on ensuring the Bronx receives the same quality of services and investment as other parts of the city.

“I feel strongly that the people of the Bronx deserve the same public safety, the same quality of life as everyone else in the city,” he said when asked why he’s eyeing reelection. “I refuse to allow the Bronx to be treated as a second-class county.”

 

Michael Blake

Former Assembly member Michael Blake is seeking to represent New York’s 15th Congressional District after previously serving six years in the New York State Assembly, four years as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and working as an aide in the Obama administration.

Many of his policy priorities are shaped by experiences growing up in a working-class family, Blake, who was raised in the Bronx, explained. Affordability, he said, is the most significant issue facing residents.

Blake’s platform pushes for reducing the cost of living through affordable housing, healthcare reform and universal child care. He has proposed creating a local median income standard for housing applications, arguing that current Area Median Income affordability calculations fail to reflect the economic realities facing Bronx residents.

Blake said he also supports increasing income limits for affordable housing programs.

Food insecurity is another issue Blake said requires urgent attention. He supports protecting SNAP benefits and increasing support for community organizations that provide meals and other services to families in need, he said.

Blake also pointed to his record in public service as evidence of his experience, such as contributions to assembly legislation related to diversity in medicine, and commitment to addressing healthcare concerns in the district.

He is also a supporter of Medicare for All and said he is an advocate of lower prescription drug costs.

Asked why he decided to run, Blake pointed to his family’s journey and his commitment to public service.

“I love my people, and public service is at my heart,” he said. “The Bronx gave me a chance to be an Assemblyman for six years. The Bronx gave me the chance to be a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee for four years. The Bronx gave me a chance to go work for President Obama for seven years.”

 

Jose Vega

Jose Vega is running as an independent candidate for New York’s 15th Congressional District on a platform focused on rebuilding industry, expanding government investment and challenging what he sees as a political system that has failed working-class communities.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Vega said the biggest issue in the district is lack of local career options for young people.

His campaign, he said, is rooted in the belief that decades of economic decline left many residents without stable pathways into the workforce, adding the government should play a larger role in creating jobs, rebuilding infrastructure and addressing affordability issues.

At the center of his vision is what he calls the Space Civilian Construction Corps, a federally funded workforce program modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps of the New Deal era. Under the proposal, young people would receive job training while working on infrastructure projects, public housing repairs and transportation improvements.

On the cost of living and affordability, Vega argued that the loss of manufacturing and industrial jobs contributed to many challenges facing the Bronx, including poverty, housing instability and food insecurity.

Discussing food insecurity, Vega said there is a need for more farmers in the U.S. to address demand.

Asked what motivated him to run for Congress, Vega pointed to his belief in an active federal government and a desire to challenge the political status quo. In the upcoming race, he sees his lack of political experience as an advantage rather than a liability.

“I say that that’s a good thing — frankly, I think that the entire Congress… should be replaced by people who are 25 to 35 years old,” Vega said. “I’m glad that I don’t have the experience of working my way up into this, you know, muck of politics, where you have to know somebody to know somebody.”

Keywords

New York 15th Congressional District,

NY-15,

Ritchie Torres,

Michael Blake,

Jose Vega,

Democratic primary,

Bronx elections,

congressional race,

U.S. House of Representatives,

Bronx voters