With New York’s 15th Congressional District Democratic primary set for June 23, incumb ent Ritchie Torres faces challengers Michael Blake and independent Jose Vega as voters weigh competing plans to lower the cost of living, tackle food insecurity and rebuild
The next chapter for New York’s 15th Congressional District is arriving fast. On June 23, voters across much of the Bronx, including greater Riverdale and the South Bronx, will choose who they want representing them in Congress.
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres is seeking another term. His challengers are Michael Blake, running in the Democratic primary, and Jose Vega, who is running as an independent.
All three candidates laid out their priorities in interviews ahead of the contest, returning again and again to the pressures Bronx residents say they feel most—affordability, public safety, food insecurity, and whether there are real pathways to a stable life.
Torres. who has represented the district since 2021. is running on his record as the first openly LGBTQ+ Black and Latino member of Congress. Before entering Congress, Torres served on the New York City Council and chaired the Committee on Public Housing. Raised in public housing, he said those experiences are the foundation of his public service.
On the issues, Torres pointed to affordability and public safety as the district’s most pressing challenges. He said his agenda is aimed at lowering the overall cost of living for residents. citing a report issued by his office that examined disparities in utility costs and called for reforms to reduce energy expenses for consumers.
A major focus for Torres is reducing housing costs. He supports expanded federal housing vouchers, increasing access to homeownership, and reforming credit scoring systems to account for rent payments. On healthcare, he highlighted accomplishments from his time in office, including securing funding for the city’s public hospital system. He also pointed to advocacy against efforts to move retirees from traditional Medicare coverage.
In North Riverdale. Torres addressed a local loss that still echoes for many families: 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.
When asked why he’s seeking reelection. Torres framed the fight as one about whether the Bronx is treated as equal within 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. “I refuse to allow the Bronx to be treated as a second-class county.”.
Blake. a former New York State Assembly member. is seeking to represent the district after serving six years in the state Assembly. His background also includes four years as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and work as an aide in the Obama administration. Blake said his platform is shaped by growing up in a working-class family in the Bronx. and he named affordability as the biggest issue facing residents.
Blake’s plan centers on reducing the cost of living through affordable housing, healthcare reform and universal child care. He 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. He also said he supports increasing income limits for affordable housing programs.
Food insecurity is another central point in Blake’s interviews. He said the issue requires urgent attention, supporting protecting SNAP benefits and increasing support for community organizations that provide meals and other services to families in need.
Blake also tied his candidacy to his previous work in public service. citing contributions to assembly legislation related to diversity in medicine and describing his commitment to addressing healthcare concerns in the district. He supports Medicare for All and is an advocate of lower prescription drug costs.
When 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 a 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.”.
Vega, meanwhile, is not running within the Democratic primary. He is seeking the seat as an independent candidate with a platform focused on rebuilding industry, expanding government investment, and challenging what he says is a political system that has failed working-class communities.
Like the others, Vega said he was born and raised in the Bronx. He pointed to the lack of local career options for young people as the district’s biggest issue. He said his campaign is rooted in the belief that decades of economic decline have left residents without stable pathways into the workforce. and that government should play a larger role in creating jobs. rebuilding infrastructure. and addressing affordability issues.
At the center of Vega’s proposal 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 affordability and cost of living, Vega argued that the loss of manufacturing and industrial jobs contributed to the challenges facing the Bronx, including poverty, housing instability and food insecurity.
Vega also spoke directly about food insecurity, saying there is a need for more farmers in the U.S. to address demand.
Asked what motivated him to run for Congress, Vega said it comes from a belief in an active federal government and a desire to challenge the political status quo. He said 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.”
Between Torres. Blake and Vega. the common thread is clear: affordability. food security. and whether Bronx residents can expect the same investments and opportunities as the rest of the city. What changes is how each candidate says that future gets built—through federal housing and healthcare initiatives. through new affordability standards and universal child care. or through a federally funded workforce program tied to infrastructure. repairs and transportation improvements.
With the June 23 election approaching, voters now have to decide which vision matches the realities they describe every day—whether the answer is extending an incumbent’s agenda, shifting direction with a state-lawmaker’s platform, or upending the political approach with an independent bid.
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