Dalourny Nemorin, a public defense attorney and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, recently suspended her campaign to represent Congressional District 15 and spoke exclusively to the Bronx Times about the challenges of being a first-time candidate — and what lies ahead for her.
Nemorin says she is still processing the difficult decision to drop out and recovering from the rigors of campaigning.
After Assembly Member Amanda Septimo ended a short-lived campaign after being diagnosed with lupus, Nemorin was the last woman standing to unseat incumbent Rep. Ritchie Torres, who took office in 2021. He faces a slate of challengers this time around who have criticized his support for Israel, among other issues.
Nemorin launched her campaign last November with a platform focused on housing and reforming the Area Median Income system, healthcare, immigrants’ rights and opposition to ICE.
The race attracted early attention, as did Nemorin herself, as a DSA candidate in the wake of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s historic win.
Now, Torres’ main remaining Democratic primary challenger is Michael Blake, who most recently ran for mayor and previously represented the Bronx in the State Assembly. Andre Easton and Jose Vega are running as independents; Jon LaTona and John Maynard Harris are also listed as candidates but have not reported any funds raised.
As a Black woman raised by a Haitian immigrant family, living in the South Bronx and practicing law throughout the campaign, Nemorin said running for office challenged her in every way.
“I did not think it would be easy, but it was far harder than I thought,” she said. “No matter how many times you’re in the passenger seat, you don’t know how to drive.”
For instance, Nemorin said staffing her campaign felt like the stereotypical scenario of a woman walking alone into an auto shop. She didn’t know where to find the right people and felt she encountered a surprising number of “crooks,” she said.
Nemorin also said she had difficulty keeping up with the obligations of fundraising and campaign finance law and was discouraged by the fact that, too often, “The person with the most money is the winner.” Records show she ended her campaign with about $12,000 cash on hand, compared to Torres’ $15 million.
Grassroots candidates who lack capital can have trouble resisting what she called “capitulation to donors” — and yet, all candidates need money to win. A plan to “just knock on doors” is not enough, Nemorin said.
She also said she underestimated how early candidates need to begin a race.
Unlike Nemorin, Blake and Vega have run multiple campaigns, and Easton had prior campaign experience with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, though not as a candidate himself.
Nemorin said she learned hard lessons about how a political race becomes much larger than the individual. Behind each winning candidate is a strange alchemy of timing, strategy, money, luck and other factors that did not go her way. When Nemorin saw no viable path to victory without taking on massive debt, she had to end the campaign, she said.
There were plenty of people who “believed in me, but didn’t believe in the race.” Now, Nemorin said she fully appreciates what it takes to run, let alone win, “and to do it with your morals intact.”
“Shoutout to the people who didn’t [win] but tried,” she said.
‘A powerful voice’
Nemorin said part of her grief in dropping out comes from her strong opposition to Torres, whom she called “a showboat.”
She said his millions in campaign cash can easily deter candidates who, like her, believe he has not responsibly stewarded federal investment to the Bronx. “Before we want our tax dollars serving other countries, we want them serving our neighbors.”
Throughout her campaign, Nemorin said the federal government under any representative has done little to address poverty in the Bronx, which is the root of many other problems — sometimes the kind that land on her criminal defense docket.
NY-15 has a median income of $44,554, with poverty nearly double the statewide rate, according to census data — and re-electing Torres would mean “a continuation of neglect of the federal level,” Nemorin said.
However, she said she is not endorsing anyone at the moment. She has remained involved in the race, recently moderating a virtual debate between Blake and Vega hosted by OneNYCAction, which backed Mamdani’s mayoral run.
“What happens after our primary is another thing for me to explore,” she said.
Despite the difficult end to her campaign, Nemorin did not rule out a future run.
She said she made many worthwhile connections during the race and uncovered new corners of the huge, diverse district. For instance, she said she learned more about concerns facing homeowners, not just renters.
“I can still be a voice for people, because I do have a powerful voice, and just making sure I use that voice to uplift other people is important to me,” she said.
If there is a next time around, Nemorin said she plans to lean more on her identity as a Black woman with Haitian immigrant roots — partly because she said Bronxites are ready for another woman in Congress.
The 750,000 residents of NY-15 have never had a woman representative.
“I hope to see that in our lifetime,” Nemorin said, pointing to the political success of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a woman of Puerto Rican descent representing NY-14 in the Bronx and Queens, as proof that it’s possible.
In general, Nemorin said, the country would be stronger with more women in politics.
“We may not exhibit power like men do, but that doesn’t mean we’re powerless,” she said. “I would argue that we are more effective with our power.”
While the current House of Representatives is the most racially and ethnically diverse in American history, still, of more than 500 members, only about 30 are Black women.
Electing a Black Haitian woman to Congress in the Bronx would be hugely significant, Nemorin said. “I thought too small about what it meant to run and all the things that would represent.”
What’s next
Nemorin said she is preparing to tie up loose ends in the race and that, after processing and reflecting, she will be able to come back stronger.
“I didn’t take it lightly to suspend my campaign,” she said.
The month since the email blast announcing her withdrawal from the race has been marked by some confusion. Her campaign website, including the donations page, remains active, and she has not yet spoken formally about her decision to drop out.
However, her updated Instagram profile sums up the situation clearly: “Campaign suspended | Still hate Ritchie Torres.”
Torres’ campaign sent a statement that included a long list of endorsements from prominent elected officials at the local and national levels, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Borough President Vanessa Gibson, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and several more.
The list also included carpenters’ and teachers’ unions, as well as NYCHA tenant association presidents.
“Ritchie is focused on delivering real results for working families in the Bronx. Everything else is noise,” the statement said.
As for Nemorin’s next moves, she said she’s not fully settled on future plans, but said, “I do want to use my voice to amplify the needs of the community.”
Working in partnership with existing organizations, she said she plans to launch some kind of advocacy effort on behalf of sexual assault survivors.
This issue is highly personal for Nemorin, having experienced assault in the past. And unfortunately, many Bronx women are fellow survivors, she said.
Overall, Nemorin said she’s not going anywhere and that supporters should expect to hear more from her soon.
Though she didn’t find a path to victory in the NY-15 race, she said she loves being a criminal defense attorney and is excited to put her campaign experience to good use in other ways.
“I’ve done many hard things successfully,” Nemorin said, adding that holding elected office might come in “act two.”
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!
