Press Release
NARAL Pro-Choice America Endorses Ritchie Torres for Congress in New York’s 15th Congressional District
For Immediate Release: June 10, 2020
Contact: [email protected]
Today, NARAL Pro-Choice America announced its endorsement of Ritchie Torres in his bid to represent New York’s 15th Congressional District. Torres is running in the Democratic primary for the open seat being vacated by Rep. Jose Serrano. Torres is the first openly gay elected official from the Bronx and the youngest member ever elected to New York’s City Council. Among his primary opponents is Rubén Díaz, Sr., a regressive, anti-choice, anti-LGBTQ candidate who could not be further out-of-touch with New Yorkers’ values.
“Ritchie Torres is the leader New Yorkers in the 15th District need to fight for their communities, protect abortion access, and ensure that people can make personal decisions about pregnancy without interference from politicians,” said Ilyse Hogue, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America. “They deserve a representative in Congress who will champion their values, not attack reproductive freedom, spew anti-LGBTQ hate, and amplify the voices of anti-choice extremists and the radical right the way Rubén Díaz, Sr. has done. Unlike Díaz, Sr, Ritchie Torres can be trusted to stand up against anti-choice extremists and serve as an unwavering champion for women and families in the Bronx. NARAL is proud to endorse Ritchie Torres and we look forward to sending him to Congress in November.”
“I’m honored to earn the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice America, which has long been on the frontlines to protect abortion rights, strengthen reproductive health and ensure all Americans can access quality care,” said Council Member Ritchie Torres. “I believe in the right to choose how a person controls their own body, and will fight in Congress to ensure that right isn’t eroded. I look forward to a strong partnership with NARAL to prevent a Trump-Republican from capturing the NY-15 seat, the bluest in the country. Together, we will ensure this district remains in Democratic hands and its residents have access to quality reproductive health options they deserve.”
Ritchie Torres is currently the New York City Councilmember for the 15th district, serving since 2013. In 2018 Torres voted in favor of a bill prohibiting employment discrimination and discriminatory harassment and violence based on an individual’s reproductive health choices. Anti-choice candidate Rubén Díaz, Sr., who is wildly out-of-step with the values of New Yorkers, voted against this bill. The Bronx, where the 15th District is located, has the highest abortion rate in the state. Latinx voters — who make up the majority of the district — overwhelmingly support the right to access abortion.
New York’s 15th Congressional District is also home to some of the communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever, New Yorkers need leaders — like Ritchie Torres, and unlike Rubén Díaz, Sr.— who will put science over ideology in their response to the public health crisis.
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NARAL Pro-Choice America and its network of state affiliates and chapters are dedicated to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom for all. For more than 50 years, NARAL has worked to guarantee that every woman has the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. Since 1969, NARAL has made history, grown to over 2.5 million members, and met the moments that have defined this fight with action, power, and freedom. In recognition of its work defending our constitutional right to choose, Fortune Magazine described NARAL as “one of the top 10 advocacy groups in America.”