NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres, of the Bronx, spoke with 1010 WINS about the possibility he’ll run against Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2026, saying she’s been an “ineffective” governor and that he’s “thinking long and hard about my future.”
“I have made no final decision as to whether I’m going to run for governor, but I’m certainly open to it,” Torres said Thursday, adding that it should “come as a shock to no one, because there’s a wave of discontent with the status quo in New York.”
Torres, a Democrat who represents New York’s 15th Congressional District from the South Bronx to Riverdale, believes Donald Trump’s gains among the New York electorate reflects a “leadership crisis at every level of government” in the state.
Vice President Kamala Harris won New York but by a smaller margin than President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. Harris got 55.6% of the vote, while Trump received 43.9%. That’s compared to Biden’s 61-38% showing in 2020 and Clinton’s 59-38% in 2016.
Trump also managed to pick up 94,600 more votes in New York City this year compared to 2020, while his Democratic challenger, Vice President Kamala Harris, lost 573,600 votes compared to 2020, according to the New York Times.
“There is no state that saw a greater swing for Donald Trump than New York, which is an indictment of the leadership that we have here,” Torres said. “You know, America has a leadership crisis, and nowhere is the leadership crisis more pronounced and profound than in New York.”
“It’s a serious problem,” he added. “Kathy Hochul is a well-meaning but ineffective governor.”
The congressman pointed to Hochul's favorability rating, saying it’s been “chronically underwater.”
A Siena College poll released in late September found Hochul’s favorability rating was 34-54%, the lowest it’s been during her time as governor.
“She’s an unpopular governor,” Torres said. “She came within five points of losing to Lee Zeldin in 2022. She’s in danger of losing to a Republican in 2026. That’s a statement of political reality.”
Responding to reports this week that Torres was considering a run, a spokesperson for Hochul’s campaign said: “Gov. Hochul is proud to have led New York Democrats to a successful election cycle, helping add four new Democratic members to Congress. The Governor remains focused on delivering results for New Yorkers, from driving down crime to lowering costs for working families.”
Still, Torres fears the state is “in a downward spiral because of our governance” and that “the failed governance is causing more and more voters to gravitate towards the Republican Party.” He said Hochul pausing congestion pricing over the summer “only to reverse herself after the election [...] reflects the erratic and chaotic governance that one would expect from a Trump presidency.”
Asked if he’d consider running for other positions in state government, such as mayor of New York City, Torres said, “I’m thinking long and hard about my future, but I’ve made no final decision.”