Rep. Ritchie Torres ripped New York’s “misgovernance” during a withering speech Monday that stirred talks the Bronx Democrat could be eyeing a run for governor.
Sounding like a politician with higher aspirations, Torres slammed New York’s policies and rules as anti-business, while saying voters’ disgust with how the city and state are governed spurred more support for President-elect Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 election.
“There are regulations in place that make it impossible to do business …. and have made it impossible to build,” Torres said of New York during a Citizens Budget Commission breakfast at Club 101 in Manhattan.
The critique had political insiders believing that Torres has aspirations for higher office, including governor.
“Ritchie is looking to run for governor,” one pal of the congressman told The Post afterward.
Torres and Rep. Dan Goldman (D-Manhattan/Brooklyn) also took turns slamming the “extreme left” that has damaged the Democratic Party brand with tone-deaf policies such as “defund the police.”
Both said Trump’s victory and the increased backing he won in blue New York shows that Democrats have to hew to practical, pocketbook concerns of voters and not let the “extreme left” control the party’s agenda.
A constituent asked Torres what he thought about the increase of black and Latino men voting for Trump in his district.
“When you examine how he won, it’s nothing short of astonishing. Donald Trump essentially built the type of coalition that the socialists dream about building — uniting the white working class in rural America with the black and brown working class in urban America,” said Torres.
He said Trump started peeling off minority working class voters who were turned off by the political left’s campaign to “defund the police” in 2020, and it grew from there.
Torres also said President Biden was “incompetent” in addressing the migrant crisis, which hurt the party.
He added, “Part of what drove the historic inroads that Donald Trump made was the sense that there’s misgovernance in New York City and New York State.”
Goldman blamed the “extreme left” as responsible for the “lack of progress” in New York.
“Extreme politics and ideological litmus tests are ineffective and hurting our city and state,” he said.
“Identity politics does not work.”
In comparison to other states, Torres questioned whether New York will have the energy capacity to power the data centers to expand artificial intelligence technology.
“New York has a shortage of energy,” Torres said.
“We have to rethink government at the state and local level.”
Goldman said there’s too much red tape, noting it took seven years for a windmill power project, which he supports, to open by his district.
“There are too many barriers,” he said. “That’s unacceptable.”
A rep or Hochul defended the governor’s record.
“Governor Hochul is focused on delivering results for New Yorkers: driving down crime and lowering costs for working families. Under her leadership, murders, shootings, and violent crime have declined statewide and New York has achieved the most significant progress in addressing the housing crisis in 50 years, ” said Hochul campaign spokeswoman Jen Goodman.
Hochul is up for re-election in 2026.
