POLITICS
Ritchie Torres: I’m in It to Win!
Out gay lawmaker embarks on historic campaign for Congress
BY MATT TRACY
Out gay Bronx City Councilmember
Ritchie Torres offi cially kicked off
his campaign for Congress on July
15, saying in a video posted on You-
Tube that he is “running for Congress because
the Bronx needs a fi ghter in Washington, DC.”
Torres ended months of speculation by formally
entering what could be a three-way race
to replace outgoing Representative José Serrano
in the 15th district. He used his launch
video to paint himself as a man who was “born
and bred” in the borough he wants to represent
on Capitol Hill while also taking shots both
at a key opponent, homophobic Councilmember
Ruben Diaz, Sr., and at President Donald
Trump. He also now has a campaign website,
torres.nyc .
Torres’ candidacy presents the opportunity
to make history: He would be the fi rst out LGBTQ
black or Latinx person to be elected to
Congress and the only out member of the New
York City congressional delegation. He already
made history when he became the fi rst openly
TORRES.NYC
Bronx City Councilmember Ritchie Torres, in his launch video announcing
his run for Congress.
gay person elected to offi ce in the history of the
Bronx and the youngest member of the City
Council.
In the Democratic primary slated for June
2020, the 31-year-old will most prominently
face Diaz, as well as Assemblymember and
Democratic National Committee vice chair
Michael Blake. State Senator Gustavo Rivera
formed a campaign committee and was fl oated
as a potential candidate in the race, but announced
on July 12 that he would remain in
his current role.
Torres laid out the nuts and bolts of his campaign
platform in a May interview with Gay
City News when he made it clear that he plans
to prioritize issues of healthcare and housing
should he be elected to Congress. He explained
that he is seeking higher offi ce because
the Council does not provide lawmakers with
enough power to enact the change necessary to
take on major issues such as the housing woes
facing many of his constituents.
At that time, he also tore into Diaz, calling
him a “leading voice of opposition to LGBT
equality” and a “creature of the right.”
“The councilmember has a right to hold
whatever beliefs he wants, but he is running
➤ RITCHIE TORRES ANNOUNCES, continued on p.9
Corey Ramps Up Mayoral Fundraising
Speaker outpaces Stringer, Diaz; Adams tops fi eld with $511k
BY MATT TRACY
Out gay City Council Speaker Corey
Johnson faces an uphill battle in
his quest to fundraise against his
— to date — deeper pocketed rivals
in the race for mayor in 2021 , but his grassroots,
people-powered approach appears to be
paying off.
Johnson, who is capping donations at $250
and has vowed to reject donations from lobbyists,
corporate PACs, and real estate developers,
has outraised City Comptroller Scott Stringer
and, apparently, Bronx Borough President Ruben
Diaz, Jr., in the most recent fi ling period
encompassing January through July of this
year. The speaker pulled in $375,628 in net
contributions from 2,616 donors during that
period, according to campaign fi nance data.
Stringer hauled in slightly less than Johnson
— $313,087 — in net contributions from
1,447 donors, while Adams raked in an impressive
$511,533 in the period, far outpacing
any other candidates who have released fi nancial
disclosures for the period.
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.,
who has yet to post his numbers for the period,
yielded slightly less than $250,000, according
to published reports.
In total, the New York City Campaign Finance
Board estimates that Johnson has
$431,549 on hand, including $88,780 transferred
from his previous City Council account,
while Stringer has $2.58 million, Brooklyn
Borough President Eric L. Adams has $2.28
million, and reports say Diaz has just over $1.4
million, though that fi gure is not documented
in offi cial campaign fi nance reporting, either.
Diaz, Adams, and Stringer have amassed
far more robust war chests — and have been
raising money for longer than Johnson — but
the speaker has shaped a campaign that maximizes
his ability to leverage his fundraising
through public matching because he is not
accepting any donations exceeding the $250
limit that is eligible for matching dollars.
Johnson’s fundraising prowess was on display
this period when, under that model, he
JOHN MCCARTEN/ NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL
Speaker Corey Johnson outpaced Comptroller Scott Stringer in
donations over the past six months, but trailed Brooklyn Borough
President Eric Adams; his fundraising approach, however, maximizes
his ability to leverage funds raised privately through public
matching dollars far better then either competitor.
➤ COREY JOHNSON RAMPS UP, continued on p.9
July 18 - July 31, 2 8 019 | GayCityNews.com
/GayCityNews.com
