John,

I was just featured in a Vox article along with eight of my freshman colleagues discussing how we prioritize racial justice. Black History Month gives a special light to these issues, but as February draws to a close, we cannot let that light dim.

My greatest passion is public housing, and I would not be where I am today were it not for the stability it gave me and my family.

The neglect of public housing has been ground zero for systemic racism. The New York City Housing Authority, if it were a city unto itself, would be the largest city of low-income Black and brown Americans in the United States.

The federal government has allowed children to be poisoned by lead in these homes.
The federal government has allowed the elderly to freeze in these homes during the bitter cold of New York winter.

Everyone deserves a warm, safe place to rest their head at the end of the day, and that’s something many of my colleagues have never had to worry about.

That’s why it is so important to have working-class people in Congress -- the People’s House.

And that’s why I am coming to you today to ask for a $3 donation to fund this grassroots people-powered campaign.

Campaigns are hard work, with a schedule that provides a barrier to entry for many working class Americans. Working people aren’t connected to the special interest groups that can fund a successful run and they certainly don’t have the institutional wealth that allows them to put their lives on hold to run campaigns.

The people of the Bronx sent me to Congress -- not corporate super PACs. I don’t take the responsibility to bring change to our borough lightly.

I will always fight for what is right in Congress, and I hope you will chip in $3 to keep me there.

http://torres.nyc/Contribute

Thank you for your support,

Ritchie Torres,
Congressman, NY-15

PS: You can read the full Vox article here