Ritchie Torres (32) won. And now, in all likelihood, he will become the first openly gay congressman with Latin American and African American roots in the United States. That is the result of Wednesday’s Democratic primary in the South Bronx. And a huge surprise.
Most of the observers had predicted that Torres would have no chance against Ruben Diaz Sr. (72), who has so far represented the South Bronx in the US Congress. The voters saw it completely differently: The 32-year-old Torres currently leads the pool of twelve main candidates with 30.5 percent of all votes cast. Diaz comes to only 17.8 percent.
Triumph over homophobia
With the South Bronx as the US constituency where most voters vote democratically, Torres’ entry into Congress in November is almost certain. Torres had repeatedly attacked Diaz during the election campaign. He is also a member of the Democratic Party, but, according to Torres, “a Trump sympathizer who disguises himself as a Democrat.”
“The triumph of an openly gay candidate over the leading homophobe in New York state politics is poetic and just,” Torres told the online portal LGBTQ Nation.
Diaz, as one of just a handful of Democrats, had voted against opening marriage in the United States and made multiple derogatory remarks about the LGBTQ community. A win over Diaz was not a given when Torres launched his campaign.
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“Many said this race could not be won,” said Torres. “That Ruben Diaz Sr. was a larger-than-life figure in Bronx politics and couldn’t be beaten. And that an openly gay candidate like me would have no chance of winning. ”Diaz was so angry and disappointed that he refused to speak to reporters on election night.
Torres, on the other hand, told the press that a South Bronx LGBT Congressman was in and of itself a reason to celebrate. “It is one thing to have LGBTQ representation in the traditional queer-dominated constituencies of New York City. It’s something different to have it in the South Bronx, in the place you least expect. For me, this is a new kind of victory for the representation of our community in politics. “
Torres believes this victory also shows that voters recognized themselves in him
Photo: Brendan McDermid
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“I have a personal story and biography that builds directly on the experiences of the South Bronx residents. I was raised by a single mother who had to raise three children on her minimum wage. I grew up in social housing that almost collapsed from mold and fungus. So surviving in the South Bronx is not an abstraction for me. These are struggles I’ve fought in my own life, and many South Bronx voters find themselves and their own struggles and experiences in me as a candidate. “
The district, which Torres will soon be represented politically, is not only one of the most democratic in the whole country, but also one of the poorest. Torres’ stated goals in the election campaign included the intention to “break the cycle of poverty”. He wants to achieve this primarily by advocating affordable housing. Something he’s already doing in his role on New York City Council.
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