Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., is considering a run for governor of New York – and he’s increasing his national profile with a tidal wave of criticism against leaders in his own party.
Torres has been outspoken in his opposition to the blue stronghold’s progressive criminal justice policies and has criticized the way Gov. Kathy Hochul has governed the Empire State, raising eyebrows about a potentially painful 2026 primary.
“Hochul has a history of coded stereotyping, falsely claiming that young black Bronxites have never heard the word ‘computer’. She knows as much about me and communities of color as she does about effectively governing. Absolutely nothing,” he wrote previous week on X.
He was also one of the first Democrats to come out blame it on the progressive left for the loss of Vice President Kamala Harris to President-elect Trump, who said at the time: “Donald Trump has no greater friend than the far left, which has managed to alienate historic numbers of Latinos, Blacks, Asians and Jews from the Democratic Party. “
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Representative Ritchie Torres speaks during a House Financial Services Committee hearing on the collapse of FTX in Washington, DC, on December 13, 2022. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
When reached for comment, Torres’ spokesperson told Fox News Digital that he is considering a gubernatorial bid “and plans to make a final decision by mid-2025.”
The congressman himself provided insight into his thinking when he recently went after New York Mayor Eric Adams for hiring an employee accused of tearing up posters of Israelis being held hostage by Hamas.
“If I were at the helm of the NYS or NYC government, anti-Semites don’t have to do that apply. Tearing down posters of the hostages is completely unacceptable and would not be tolerated,” Torres wrote on social media.
In late November, he accused both Adams and Hochul of being “complicit” in a stabbing that left three New Yorkers dead.
That same month, he denounced New York’s policies as bad for business.
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Torres has criticized Governor Kathy Hochul. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“There are rules that make it impossible to do business… and that make it impossible to build,” Torres said at a meeting of the Citizens Budget Commission, according to the New York Post.
Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., who served as chairman of the New York State Republican Party for more than a decade, said it wasn’t shocking to see Torres attack Hochul as he pondered his own gubernatorial bid.
“Richie Torres is making many of the same criticisms that Republicans have leveled about the dysfunction in Albany. So it’s not surprising that she faces a challenge from her own party,” Langworthy said.
However, he dismissed Torres’ criticism of progressivism as “an attitude toward Hochul’s failures and the undeniable success” of Trump’s platform.
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Rep. Nick Langworthy, former chairman of the Republican Party in New York state, said Torres echoed Republicans’ criticism. (Getty Images)
Torres was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) until earlier this year, when he dropped his differences over Israel.
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When asked about Torres’ criticism, Hochul said at a recent press conference that she was “a little busy” with work.
“Those who have government jobs that are not focused on their jobs, and are focused on an election almost two years away, I think their voters would have a problem with that,” she said.
