Mayor Mamdani’s grassroots campaign reshaped the Bronx — and the race against Ritchie Torres

Many Bronx voters say they rarely see elected officials in their neighborhoods, leaving some residents feeling disconnected from politics.

Just a few months ago, Mayor Zohran Mamdani challenged that dynamic with a campaign focused on grassroots outreach and direct engagement with voters – a strategy that helped him win in the Bronx by 12 points during the mayoral election.

Now, some of the candidates running in New York’s 15th Congressional District are trying a similar approach, aiming to meet voters where they live and take on incumbent Ritchie Torres.

The 2026 NY-15 field currently includes incumbent Ritchie Torres, Michael Blake, Dalourny Nemorin, Amanda Septimo, Jon LaTona, Jose Vega and Andre Easton.

All but Easton, who is running as an independent, will be challenging Torres in the primary this June. Many of these candidates have begun adopting the strategies that led Mamdani to his victory.

Andre Easton, a Bronx public school teacher and member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, said he has built his campaign around lowering rent, raising wages, and expanding social programs.

Much of Easton’s platform echoes the Mamdani campaign, from affordable housing to free childcare.

Easton said his campaign is taking notes on Mamdani’s ability to mobilize working-class New Yorkers.

“Zohran was very energizing,” Easton said. “He was able to speak to the affordability crisis, not just with vague references but putting forth those bold proposals.”

The Bronx, historically characterized by low voter turnout, saw over 100,000 more voters for mayor in 2025 than 2021, according to the NYC Board of Elections.

Political analysts and challengers alike are asking whether the same grassroots energy that fueled Mamdani’s win could translate to a competitive congressional race.

J.C. Polanco, a political analyst, attorney and professor who served as president and commissioner of the Bronx to the New York City Board of Elections, said a successful challenger could emerge by following Mamdani’s campaign strategy.

“If the Mamdani faction coalesces around one candidate and really does a Mamdani-like campaign where young people feel connected, you may have a very interesting primary election where the congressman is gonna have to fight for each and every vote,” Polanco said.

Jose Vega, a political organizer who is challenging Torres for the second time, said the key to this approach is meeting voters where they are.

“Being in the streets was the most important aspect of his campaign,” Vega said.

Vega said he is running on a platform that emphasizes reindustrialization, bringing jobs and investment to the Bronx and tackling what he sees as excessive foreign influence in the district’s political landscape.

He also continues to prioritize direct engagement with residents. “People like to be listened to, not lectured,” Vega said.

That approach resonated with Bronx voters in November. Before Election Day results rolled in, April Ashby, who was born and raised in the Bronx, sat on a bench in Joyce Kilmer Park explaining why she was willing to give Zohran Mamdani a chance.

“He’s young, he’s energetic,” Ashby said. “I like the way he’s campaigned trying to get everywhere with everybody mixing with all types of different people. I don’t see other candidates doing that.”

When it comes to congressional representatives, however, many Bronx voters like Alicea still feel disengaged. In Concourse Village, voters said an on-the-ground approach is missing from representatives in the borough.

“They don’t partake in what’s going on,” Alicea said. “If they are out here, you would know about them.”

Another Bronx resident, Nicky Rodriguez, said the same, noting that in-person events and social media outreach could help candidates connect with Bronx constituents.

According to Torres’ campaign, at just 37 years old, Torres also represents a new generation of leadership in Washington who delivers real results for Bronx families.

“Ritchie Torres is a lifelong Bronxite who is deeply connected across NY-15 and fights for his community every day,” Torres campaign spokesperson Benny Stanislawski said in a statement to the Bronx Times.

The campaign highlighted Torres’ legislative record with housing, banking and economic issues that impact the wellbeing of Bronx residents.

“Independent rankings from UVA’s Center for Effective Lawmaking consistently place him in the top tier of House members, ranking among the most effective Democrats in Congress,” Stanislawski said.

Stanislawski also pointed out Torres’ support in the community, saying the congressman has been outspoken in defending the Bronx from the Trump administration and demanding accountability for ICE’s actions.

Torres announced plans to introduce the Quick Recognition (QR) Act to Congress this week. The bill would mandate QR codes on the uniforms of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents.

“His support in the community is deep, and polls consistently show him with strong levels of approval across the district. While others play politics, Ritchie stays focused on delivering for the Bronx” Stanislawski said.

New faces to New York’s 15th Congressional District

Michael Blake, a former New York State Assembly Member and candidate in the race, said his campaign aims to address public safety and the cost-of-living crisis in the borough. Blake argued that voter disengagement is a sign that the borough is ready for change.

“You have a member of Congress who is in a third term, and you have people who after the historic turnout that just happened, are saying they don’t know who he is,” Blake said.

“It shows how disconnected Richie is from the actual voters on the ground.”

Meanwhile, candidates like Dalourny Nemorin pointed to New York’s congressional redistricting, finalized in 2024, as a complicating factor in the race.

The redistricting saw Bronx neighborhoods Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil move into NY-15 from NY-16. Norwood also joined from NY-13, making the district entirely Bronx-based under the current map.

“Ritchie has to reintroduce himself to a large portion of his district now,” Nemorin said. “Just because no one knows who you are doesn’t give you a blank slate.”Nemorin said she is pushing for housing measures like universal rent control and addressing affordability concerns by raising the minimum wage.

The public defender and long-time organizer for the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), who endorsed Mamdani, emphasized that on-the-ground organizing was central to his win in the borough.

“The November results are demonstrative of what happens when you decide that we’re gonna send door knockers, we’re gonna activate, we’re gonna organize, in the Bronx because we know that people can turn out,” Nemorin said.

Polanco said ballot structure and party affiliation also played a role in how voters approached the November ballot.

“A lot of disaffected Democrats voted for assemblyman Mamdani by default because he’s a Democrat,” Polanco said. “He’s line A on the ballot.”

Those running in the NY-15 race argued that enthusiasm for Mamdani reflected more than just a ballot position – it demonstrated an energy shift throughout the borough.

“The Cuomo name is something that has been present for decades,” Blake said. “Voters made a conscious decision that they wanted change.”

In addition to grassroots outreach, many of Torres’ challengers are spotlighting national issues, including the Congressman’s support of Israel, investments in aerospace companies, and his vote for the Laken Riley Act, which expanded the scope of immigration enforcement.

Blake, who has criticized Torres for defense investments, has worked for Eccalon, a Maryland-based defense firm.

Polanco said highlighting Torres’ record may resonate with voters in the borough.

“Associating the Congress member to some of the things we’ve been watching on the news, that may bode well in parts of the district,” Polanco said.

John Wilson, a voter in neighboring NY-16 who works in the court system in NY-15, said he has seen the political momentum in the Bronx shifting.

“I wonder if Ritchie Torres is part of the Vanguard that’s going to help that happen, or he’s kind of part of the old guard that might be getting pushed aside,” Wilson said.