Easton said his campaign is taking notes on Mamdani\u2019s ability to mobilize working-class New Yorkers.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cZohran was very energizing,\u201d Easton said. \u201cHe was able to speak to the affordability crisis, not just with vague references but putting forth those bold proposals.\u201d
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Ballot box at Hostos Community College on the day of the mayoral election. Photo by Che de los Reyes.\n<\/p>\n
The Bronx, historically characterized by low voter turnout, saw over 100,000 more voters for mayor in 2025<\/a> than 2021<\/a>, according to the NYC Board of Elections.<\/p>\n Political analysts and challengers alike are asking whether the same grassroots energy that fueled Mamdani\u2019s win could translate to a competitive congressional race.\n<\/p>\n J.C. Polanco, a political analyst, attorney and professor who served as president and commissioner of the Bronx to the New York City Board of Elections, said a successful challenger could emerge by following Mamdani\u2019s campaign strategy.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the Mamdani faction coalesces around one candidate and really does a Mamdani-like campaign where young people feel connected, you may have a very interesting primary election where the congressman is gonna have to fight for each and every vote,\u201d Polanco said.<\/p>\n Jose Vega, a political organizer who is challenging Torres for the second time, said the key to this approach is meeting voters where they are.\n<\/p>\n \u201cBeing in the streets was the most important aspect of his campaign,\u201d Vega said.\n<\/p>\n Vega said he is running on a platform that emphasizes<\/a> reindustrialization, bringing jobs and investment to the Bronx and tackling what he sees as excessive foreign influence in the district\u2019s political landscape.<\/p>\n He also continues to prioritize direct engagement with residents. \u201cPeople like to be listened to, not lectured,\u201d Vega said.\n<\/p>\n That approach resonated with Bronx voters in November. Before Election Day results rolled in, April Ashby, who was born and raised in the Bronx, sat on a bench in Joyce Kilmer Park explaining why she was willing to give Zohran Mamdani a chance.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s young, he\u2019s energetic,\u201d Ashby said. \u201cI like the way he\u2019s campaigned trying to get everywhere with everybody mixing with all types of different people. I don\u2019t see other candidates doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n When it comes to congressional representatives, however, many Bronx voters like Alicea still feel disengaged. In Concourse Village, voters said an on-the-ground approach is missing from representatives in the borough.<\/p>\n \u201cThey don\u2019t partake in what\u2019s going on,\u201d Alicea said. \u201cIf they are out here, you would know about them.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Another Bronx resident, Nicky Rodriguez, said the same, noting that in-person events and social media outreach could help candidates connect with Bronx constituents. According to Torres\u2019 campaign, at just 37 years old, Torres also represents a new generation of leadership in Washington who delivers real results for Bronx families.<\/p>\n \u201cRitchie Torres is a lifelong Bronxite who is deeply connected across NY-15 and fights for his community every day,\u201d Torres campaign spokesperson Benny Stanislawski said in a statement to the Bronx Times.<\/p>\n The campaign highlighted Torres\u2019 legislative record with housing, banking and economic issues that impact the wellbeing of Bronx residents.\n<\/p>\n \u201cIndependent rankings from UVA\u2019s Center for Effective Lawmaking consistently place him in the top tier of House members, ranking among the most effective Democrats in Congress,\u201d Stanislawski said.<\/p>\n Stanislawski also pointed out Torres\u2019 support in the community, saying the congressman has been outspoken in defending the Bronx from the Trump administration and demanding accountability for ICE\u2019s actions.<\/p>\n Torres announced plans to introduce the Quick Recognition (QR) Act<\/a> to Congress this week. The bill would mandate QR codes on the uniforms of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents.<\/p>\n \u201cHis support in the community is deep, and polls consistently show him with strong levels of approval across the district. While others play politics, Ritchie stays focused on delivering for the Bronx\u201d Stanislawski said.<\/p>\n New faces to New York\u2019s 15th Congressional District Michael Blake, a former New York State Assembly Member and candidate in the race, said his campaign aims to<\/a> address public safety and the cost-of-living crisis in the borough. Blake argued that voter disengagement is a sign that the borough is ready for change.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have a member of Congress who is in a third term, and you have people who after the historic turnout that just happened, are saying they don\u2019t know who he is,\u201d Blake said.\n<\/p>\n \u201cIt shows how disconnected Richie is from the actual voters on the ground.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Meanwhile, candidates like Dalourny Nemorin pointed to New York\u2019s congressional redistricting, finalized in 2024, as a complicating factor in the race.\n<\/p>\n The redistricting saw Bronx neighborhoods Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil move into NY-15 from NY-16. Norwood also joined from NY-13, making the district entirely Bronx-based under the current map.\n<\/p>\n \u201cRitchie has to reintroduce himself to a large portion of his district now,\u201d Nemorin said. \u201cJust because no one knows who you are doesn\u2019t give you a blank slate.\u201dNemorin said she is pushing for housing measures<\/a> like universal rent control and addressing affordability concerns by raising the minimum wage.<\/p>\n The public defender and long-time organizer for the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), who endorsed Mamdani<\/a>, emphasized that on-the-ground organizing was central to his win in the borough.<\/p>\n \u201cThe November results are demonstrative of what happens when you decide that we\u2019re gonna send door knockers, we\u2019re gonna activate, we\u2019re gonna organize, in the Bronx because we know that people can turn out,\u201d Nemorin said.<\/p>\n Polanco said ballot structure and party affiliation also played a role in how voters approached the November ballot.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of disaffected Democrats voted for assemblyman Mamdani by default because he\u2019s a Democrat,\u201d Polanco said. \u201cHe\u2019s line A on the ballot.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Those running in the NY-15 race argued that enthusiasm for Mamdani reflected more than just a ballot position \u2013 it demonstrated an energy shift throughout the borough.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThe Cuomo name is something that has been present for decades,\u201d Blake said. \u201cVoters made a conscious decision that they wanted change.\u201d\n<\/p>\n In addition to grassroots outreach, many of Torres\u2019 challengers are spotlighting national issues, including the Congressman\u2019s support of Israel, investments in aerospace companies, and his vote for the Laken Riley Act<\/a>, which expanded the scope of immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n Blake, who has criticized Torres for defense investments, has worked for Eccalon, a Maryland-based defense firm<\/a>.<\/p>\n Polanco said highlighting Torres\u2019 record may resonate with voters in the borough.\n<\/p>\n \u201cAssociating the Congress member to some of the things we\u2019ve been watching on the news, that may bode well in parts of the district,\u201d Polanco said.\n<\/p>\n John Wilson, a voter in neighboring NY-16 who works in the court system in NY-15, said he has seen the political momentum in the Bronx shifting.\n<\/p>\n \u201cI wonder if Ritchie Torres is part of the Vanguard that\u2019s going to help that happen, or he\u2019s kind of part of the old guard that might be getting pushed aside,\u201d Wilson said.\n<\/p>\n Macy Hanzlik-Barend is a contributing writer at the Bronx Times and a data journalism student at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. She can be reached at macyhb@gmail.com<\/a>.\u00a0For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t
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Voters walk in to vote at Hostos Community College, poll workers are stationed outside. Photo by Che de los Reyes.\n<\/p>\n
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Michael Blake, former Bronx Assembly Member, participates in the 32BJ SEIU screening process for mayoral candidates on March 1, 2025. Photo courtesy 32BJ SEIU<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20251112_185353_322c59-e1763059139206.jpg\")
Dalourny Nemorin launched her campaign for NY-15, to unseat Ritchie Torres, on Nov. 12, 2025.<\/p>\n