Ritchie John Torres, born on March 12, 1988, in the Bronx, New York, is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for New York's 15th congressional district since January 2021, having been elected in 2020. A member of the Democratic Party, Torres rose to prominence as a progressive voice in local politics, having previously served on the New York City Council from 2014 to 2020, where he represented the 15th district and chaired the Committee on Public Housing. Of Puerto Rican and African American descent, Torres grew up in the New York City Housing Authority's Patterson Houses projects, experiencing poverty firsthand, which shaped his advocacy for affordable housing, criminal justice reform, and economic opportunity in underserved communities. He is openly gay, making history as one of the first openly LGBTQ+ elected officials from the Bronx, and has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, mental health awareness—drawing from his own experiences with depression—and environmental justice. As a rising Democratic star, Torres is one of the most vocally pro-Israel members of Congress and a prominent voice on campus antisemitism issues, frequently aligning with AIPAC on Middle East policy votes and supporting AIPAC-backed legislation, while advocating for bipartisan foreign policy. He focuses on progressive domestic issues such as the Green New Deal and Medicare for All, maintaining a firm commitment to U.S.-Israel relations. In Congress, he serves on the Financial Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee, where he has championed progressive domestic policies while maintaining his pro-Israel alignment. This position has drawn both praise for his commitment to U.S.-Israel relations and criticism from some progressive Democrats for diverging from party lines on issues like the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. Torres continues to reside primarily in New York, balancing time between Washington, D.C., and his Bronx roots, emphasizing his identity as a product of public housing and a champion for working-class families.