Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday he’s “unlikely” to run for governor in 2026, despite earlier indications he was considering a challenge to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) reelection bid.
In an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Torres said he plans to focus his fight on Washington, where President Trump and the Republican majority in Congress are pushing through policies that Torres says would particularly harm his district in the Bronx.
“I’m unlikely to run,” Torres said when asked about his possible 2026 election plans.
“The assault that we’ve seen on the social safety net in the Bronx is so unprecedented, so overwhelming, that I’m going to keep my focus on Washington, D.C.,” he said. “So my heart lies with Washington, D.C.”
“I feel like now more than ever we have to fight the catastrophe that is the Trump presidency,” Torres added.
Earlier in the interview, Torres stressed the negative impact that the massive GOP tax and spending bill would have on his district.
The Senate version of the policy bill, passed on Tuesday, would cut approximately $1 trillion in Medicaid spending — the largest cut to Medicaid in history. Almost 12 million lower-income Americans would lose their health insurance by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Torres noted that two-thirds of his constituents are on Medicaid — the highest level of enrollment in the country, according to the congressman.
“When America sneezes, the Bronx gets the flu,” Torres said in the interview. “The Bronx is going to be the hardest hit by the trillion-dollar cut to Medicaid and children’s health care. It’s going to destabilize every health care provider, every hospital in my district.”
Politico reported in November that Torres was planning to launch a statewide tour to raise his public profile as he considered a potential challenge to Hochul. He was sharply critical of Hochul, who, he said, “may be in denial about the depth of her vulnerabilities in 2026.”
He compared her to former President Biden and his 2024 reelection ambitions.
“In the case of Biden, instead of speaking out early, we waited until it was too late. Let’s avoid repeating history and let’s avoid sleepwalking toward disaster and defeat,” he said at the time.
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