Ritchie Torres, the first out gay Afro-Latino member of Congress, wins reelection

Rep. Ritchie Torres has won a fourth term representing New York’s 15th Congressional District, returning the Bronx Democrat to Washington as he presses the Trump administration over its handling of LGBTQ+ housing discrimination complaints.

According to Decision Desk HQ, the Democratic incumbent secured reelection. The election analysis service called the race at 9 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday as polls closed, based on the projected vote.

When he was first elected to Congress in 2020, Torres and fellow New York Democrat Mondaire Jones became the first openly gay Black men elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Torres also became the first openly gay Afro-Latino person to serve in Congress.

His political career began closer to home. Elected to the New York City Council in 2013 at age 25, Torres became the first out LGBTQ+ person elected to office in the Bronx. He grew up in public housing, an experience that helped shape his focus on affordable housing and the needs of working families.

During his reelection campaign, Torres emphasized the financial pressures his constituents face.

In October, Torres pressed the Trump administration for answers about LGBTQ+ housing protections. In a letter to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, Torres demanded the department account for an apparent retreat from fair housing enforcement, asking whether a shrinking backlog of discrimination complaints reflected resolved cases or simply dismissed claims.

The letter, shared exclusively with The Advocate, sought records on complaints involving sexual orientation and gender identity, staffing losses, and political oversight of investigators. Torres asked the department to distinguish completed investigations and settlements from complaints closed without full investigations.

“The Department’s obligation is to enforce the law, not to redefine discrimination out of existence,” Torres wrote.