Torres Wins Reelection in New York's 15th District

Democrat Ritchie Torres, who became one of the first openly gay Black men elected to Congress, has secured a fourth term representing the Bronx-based district.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in LGBTQ+

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a stone civic facade in navy and cream against a pale overcast sky, with a distant rail line and rowhouse roofs. — Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres won reelection to New York's 15th Congressional District on Tuesday, securing a fourth term representing the Bronx. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Democratic incumbent Ritchie Torres won reelection to represent New York's 15th Congressional District, a race Decision Desk HQ called at 9 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday as polls closed. Torres, first elected to Congress in 2020, is the first openly gay Afro-Latino person to serve in the body.

Why it matters

Torres's win extends the representation of LGBTQ+ officials in New York City's congressional delegation, a district he has held since first winning office. His record includes pressing federal housing officials over LGBTQ+ discrimination complaints, a fair housing issue with direct implications for city residents.

Decision Desk HQ called the race at 9 p.m. Eastern time as polls closed on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Torres's fourth term follows his 2020 first election to Congress, after he was elected to the New York City Council in 2013 at age 25.

The players

Ritchie Torres

A Democratic congressman from the Bronx who grew up in public housing, Torres is the first out LGBTQ+ person elected to office in the Bronx and one of the first openly gay Black men to win a seat in the U.S. House.

Scott Turner

As Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Turner oversees federal fair housing enforcement, the subject of Torres's October letter over complaint backlogs and closures.

The details

In October, Torres sent a letter to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner seeking records on complaints involving sexual orientation and gender identity, staffing losses, and political oversight of investigators. The letter asked the department to distinguish completed investigations and settlements from complaints closed without full investigations.

2013: Torres is elected to the New York City Council at age 25.
2020: Torres is first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
October: Torres sends a letter to HUD Secretary Scott Turner on LGBTQ+ housing complaints.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Decision Desk HQ calls Torres's reelection at 9 p.m. Eastern time.

Milestone Continuity

Torres and Mondaire Jones became the first openly gay Black men elected to the U.S. House, and Torres's fourth term continues his role within that group of pioneering LGBTQ+ representatives. His reelection carries the representation forward as LGBTQ+ members of Congress have become a more established part of the chamber.

New York City residents in the 15th District will continue to have Torres as their representative in Congress for another term. His ongoing pressure on federal housing enforcement bears on how LGBTQ+ and other tenants in the Bronx can seek redress for discrimination complaints.

The takeaway

Reelection gives Torres continued standing to press federal agencies on whether fair housing complaints are resolved or simply dismissed. Readers tracking housing discrimination can watch how the department answers those oversight questions.