Ritchie Torres is headed to the U.S. House of Representatives to rep the South Bronx.
The crusading city councilman, who grew up in NYCHA public housing, defeated Republican Patrick Delices on Tuesday to become the first gay Black-Latino ever to reach Congress.
He replaces outgoing incumbent Ruben Diaz Sr., whose history of homophobic and bellicose statements led to a resounding rejection by voters in the Democratic primary.
“Tonight, a new era begins for the South Bronx. It is the honor of a lifetime to represent a borough filled with essential workers who have risked their lives so that New York City could live,” Torres said in a statement. “The Bronx is essential, and the vibrant, loving and talented people who live here have shown time and again their power, fortune and perseverance.”
Kevin Deutsch is a Staff Writer for Bronx Justice News covering the criminal justice system, drugs, and DNA use by law enforcement. An award-winning journalist, Deutsch is the author of the true crime books "Pill City" and "The Triangle." He has worked on staff at the Daily News, Miami Herald, Newsday, The Palm Beach Post, and The Riverdale Press. His work has also appeared in Newsweek, Columbia Journalism Review, The New York Times, The Village Voice, The Forward, The Independent, Huffington Post, Orlando Sentinel, and the New York Post, among other publications. His numerous television appearances include spots on CNN, MSNBC, and C-SPAN's BookTV. He has also been featured in The New Yorker. A Bronx resident, Deutsch hosts the true crime podcast "A Dark Turn" on the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network.
