Bronx US Rep. Ritchie Torres (D) appeared to all but say Friday that he would mount a challenge to Gov. Kathy Hochul in the 2026 Democratic primary.
Torres, who has been rumored to be considering a run for governor himself, declared in a social media post that running Hochul as the state’s Democratic nominee for governor in 2026 could hand the governorship over to the Republicans. He labeled Hochul the “new Joe Biden,” suggesting that Biden running for a second term (and late withdrawal from the race in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris) is what ultimately caused Democrats to lose the White House to President-elect Donald Trump.
While not explicitly saying that he would challenge Hochul in the upcoming primary, Torres made clear that someone needs to.
“Let’s avoid repeating history and avoid sleepwalking toward impending disaster and defeat,” Torres wrote.
Torres also took aim at Hochul’s basement-level approval ratings, as indicated in recent polls. A September 2024 poll by Siena College found that just 34% of New Yorkers surveyed viewed her in a favorable light, the lowest number for her since she became governor in 2021 following the resignation of then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
“She may be in denial about the depth of her vulnerabilities as a Democratic nominee,” he said. “A Democratic incumbent who is less popular in New York than Donald Trump is in grave danger of losing to a Republican in 2026–an outcome not seen in 30 years.”
Torres has represented the 15th Congressional District in the Bronx since 2021, succeeding Jose Serrano in the seat. Prior to that, Torres served in the City Council between 2014 and 2020, and was the first openly gay Bronx resident ever to serve in the city’s legislature.
While championing traditional Democratic values such as higher minimum wages and increased affordability, he has also been an outspoken supporter of Israel following the Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attacks by Hamas, which bristled some progressives and Democratic socialists.
During the 2024 general election, Torres easily defeated his Republican challenger, garnering 76.28% of the vote — and actually running ahead of Harris in the presidential race. Harris won the 15th District with 73.6% of the vote.
Jen Goodman, a spokesperson for the Hochul campaign, noted that Hochul’s leadership of New York Democrats helped to flip three Republican-held House seats in the Empire State this past election cycle, despite big Trump gains nationally.
“Governor Hochul is proud to have led New York Democrats in a successful election cycle, giving Congressman Torres four new Democratic colleagues in Congress,” Goodman said. “The governor remains focused on delivering results for New Yorkers, from driving down crime to lowering costs for working families.”
Democrats have won every gubernatorial election in New York since 2006, when then-Attorney General Eliot Spitzer was elected to the state’s chief executive post. However, in winning her first elected term as governor in 2022, Hochul won by little more than seven points against her Republican challenger, then-US Rep. Lee Zeldin of Long Island.
That outcome, combined with New York’s rightward trend to Trump in 2024, may give the GOP hope of returning to the governor’s mansion. Rumors are swirling that US Rep. Mike Lawler, who was re-elected to his Lower Hudson Valley seat this month, might be a key contender for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2026.
The last Republican to serve as New York governor was George Pataki, who upset Democratic Gov. Mario Cuomo in 1994 and went on to serve three terms.
