Joe Biden endorses the Bronx’s Ritchie Torres for Congress

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden endorsed Councilman Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx) for Congress.

The show of support came Sunday, ahead of a Nov. 3 general election that Torres is expected to win handily.

“I am proud to endorse Ritchie Torres, because he’s been a lifelong fighter for the Bronx,” Biden said in a statement. "As a New York City Council Member, Ritchie stood up for public housing residents, fought for better schools and worked to create jobs and opportunities for everyone in his community.

“I know that Ritchie will fight in Congress for a fair COVID-19 recovery, to combat climate change, and to ensure every American has a shot at a brighter future,” the statement concludes.

Former President Barack Obama endorsed Torres last month.

“I never thought as a poor kid from the Bronx that I would likely become a United States congressman, and to have the support of both former President Barack Obama and future President Joe Biden is deeply gratifying,” Torres told the Daily News.

“The next president and the next Congress will have a once-in-a century opportunity to govern as boldly in the 21st century as FDR did in the 20th, and the future of New York City depends on an FDR moment in Washington, D.C.,” he added, referencing former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, author of the New Deal.

Torres, a term-limited councilman, won the hotly contested June Democratic primary to rep the South Bronx in Congress. That election was part of a wider trend in the Bronx that has seen establishment favorites topple to younger progressives.

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