Dalourny Nemorin, a public defense attorney and member of Bronx Community Board 1, launched her campaign Nov. 12 for the borough’s 15th Congressional District, which includes a wide swath of the southern and central Bronx.
The district of approximately 715,000 residents has been represented by Ritchie Torres since 2021, but three candidates have thus far announced they will challenge him in the 2026 primary: Nemorin, a member of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) — the party of mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani— Democrat Michael Blake, a former Assembly Member who, most recently, ran unsuccessfully for mayor; and Andre Easton, another socialist candidate and high school teacher.
The launch event in the library of the historic Andrew Freedman Home featured a DJ, food and drinks, a spoken word performance by Bronx poet Roya Marsh and celebratory vibes among the crowd of about 50 mostly young adults.
Nemorin’s team debuted a video, which earned cheers and applause as she said, “ICE has no place in the Bronx, period,” and that rents for affordable housing should be “based on incomes we earn here in the Bronx,” not the federal Area Median Income (AMI) that factors in the wealthier surrounding suburbs.
The district Nemorin is running to represent is one of the poorest in the nation. Census data shows a median household income of $44,000, with more than 30% of residents living below the poverty line. “The Bronx isn’t broken. We are just being ignored,” Nemorin said in the video.
She was introduced onstage by her father, Danny Nemorin. Both parents, who were in the audience, are immigrants from Haiti.
Danny Nemorin said his daughter was a gifted student who completed her bachelor’s degree in International Relations in three years and graduated from CUNY Law School by the age of 24.
But beyond academics, the family’s religious faith and several mission trips to Haiti “profoundly reshaped her worldview” and instilled her with humility and gratitude, he said.
From Miami to the Bronx
Dalourny Nemorin, who has lived in New York City since 2011, said in a speech to supporters that although she is not a Bronx native, she had a comparable experience growing up in Miami’s Little Haiti and receiving Medicaid and food stamps throughout law school.
“Even though I was just feeding myself, I know what it feels like to have no more food stamp funds towards the end of the month and have to wait till your next month’s deposit to eat again,” Nemorin said.
She said her platform focuses on housing, with emphasis on public housing and homeownership opportunities, healthcare, immigrants’ rights, support for veterans and boosting entrepreneurship.
Nemorin said the Bronx has long been plagued by poverty regardless of who held political office, creating a domino effect she has witnessed firsthand as a public defender. “Many of the problems we see in our beautiful borough are symptoms of poverty,” she added.
She attacked Torres for accepting donations from “large developers” and from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a top contributor to his campaign. She said Torres’ staunchly pro-Israel stance and funding from AIPAC “[requires] him to deny the existence of genocide in Palestine, while we watch in real time as people starve to death.”
Closer to home, Nemorin said many Bronx residents live in fear of ICE raids and of going hungry due to SNAP benefit cuts.
‘The weaponization of hunger, the exploitation of the powerless, must have no role in politics. Not in this country or abroad. Not in Gaza or on Gun Hill Road,” she said.
In a statement, Torres spokesperson Benny Stanislawski said, “Bronx voters trust Ritchie Torres to be their voice fighting for them in Washington because he is a lifelong resident who has delivered real results for the community. Ritchie has been laser-focused on issues like public housing and affordability while standing up to Donald Trump. That’s why he’s going to win again next year.”
Regardless of who runs for NY-15, Nemorin repeatedly emphasized the importance of getting out the vote, even though the June 2026 primary is months away. The mayoral election showed that those who have checked out of politics — perhaps for good reason — must get re-engaged, said Nemorin.
“Anytime we don’t vote, we let people think our suffering is acceptable and we simply don’t care. That must stop now,” she said.
After Nemorin’s speech, Fatmata Kamara, a law student who lives in Norwood, called the campaign “inspiring.” “I think she truly stands for all the things she’s presented on.”
Even though Nemorin is not a native New Yorker, Kamara said she has the relevant experience to solve the borough’s most pressing issues, such as responding to President Donald Trump’s severe immigration crackdown and creating a system for affordable housing that is actually within Bronxites’ reach.
She said she believes Nemorin, if elected, would continue to care about the Bronx, and that Torres has not maintained a strong enough presence in his native borough. “I just don’t see him in the Bronx,” Kamara said. “It was convenient when he decided to run. Now, where is he?”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
