New York's 15th congressional district in the South Bronx has been called the poorest and bluest congressional district in America. Ritchie Torres, who served for seven years on the New York City Council announced his candidacy for the seat, left open by retiring Congressman José Serrano, in July 2019. He was one of a dozen in the primary field but came out on top with just over 32% of the vote all but assuring his success in November.

Torres will make history as the first openly gay Afro-Latino elected to Congress. Here he talks with Politics host Amy Walter about his experiences growing up in public housing, coming out, running for office, and his hopes for the next Congress. 

Check out our 2020 election coverage here.

Check out the full freshman conversation series here.

Check out our series, "A Votar: A Look at Latino Voters in the 2020 U.S. Election," here.

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