Ritchie Torres has taken a comfy lead in the congested primary to change Rep. José E. Serrano, who represented a greatly Latino, impoverished stretch of the South Bronx for three years.
With over 96%of ballot stations reporting, Torres– who made history in 2013 as the first freely gay candidate to win a legislative seat in the Bronx district of New york city City, becoming the youngest member of the City board– received 30%of the in-person vote, well ahead of his 11 competitors.
A record variety of New york city City citizens asked for absentee tallies due to the continuous coronavirus pandemic, and those votes most likely won’t be counted till next month. Dave Wasserman, a polling professional at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, stated at 1: 22 a.m.: “I have actually seen enough … [Torres] has won.”
” I’m not prepared to declare triumph up until every vote is counted, however even if I win the election, it’s governing that matters,” Torres said, choking back tears in an interview on NY1 on Tuesday night. “It would be the honor of my life to represent this district. It’s my home.”
His campaign raked in nearly $1.4 million, Federal Election Commission filings show, more than any other candidate in the race.
Councilman @RitchieTorres states it’s too early to state victory in his congressional race, but he does have an early lead. He informed @JuanMaBenitez it would be the honor of his life to represent the Bronx. “It’s my house.” #NY 1Politics pic.twitter.com/grY8KfDref
— Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) June 24, 2020
Torres also got strong backing from well-funded LGBTQ groups who were alarmed that his most major opponent in the race appeared to be conservative Rev. Rubén Díaz Sr., a dynastic figure in the Bronx who has fought versus policies to safeguard the civil liberties of queer and transgender New Yorkers for the majority of his three-decade political career.
The congested field appeared to provide Díaz a benefit. When Serrano revealed his retirement after 30 years in March 2019, he triggered a mad rush into the race to change him, drawing political heavyweights such as Melissa Mark-Viverito, the former council speaker; state Assemblyman Michael Blake; and Ydanis Rodríguez, a councilman almost two times Torres’s age.
Although Torres had significant progressive assistance, including from the Congressional Progressive Caucus, he did not win the backing of New york city City’s significantly influential socialist left. His assistance from realty and financing magna