Pro-Israel House Dem draws leftist primary challenge

Dem Rep. Ritchie Torres shreds Mamdani on failure to condemn 'intifada' language

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., blasted Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Monday for not condemning the slogan, "Globalize the intifada."

Former New York State Assembly member Michael Blake has mounted a bid to unseat pro-Israel Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres in New York's 15th Congressional District.

"I am running for Congress because the people of The Bronx deserve better than Ritchie Torres," Blake, a former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, declared in social media posts.

"I am ready to fight for you and lower your cost of living while Ritchie fights for a Genocide. I will focus on Affordable Housing and Books as Ritchie will only focus on AIPAC and Bibi. I will invest in the community. Ritchie invests in Bombs. I want to end credit scores for housing. Ritchie only wants to take credit," Blake said.

DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER ‘NO LONGER ON SPEAKING TERMS' WITH SOME FAMILY OVER ISRAEL SUPPORT

On the left, Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., during an interview in New York, on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. On the right, Zohran Mamdani and Michael Blake greet supporters on 161st Street on June 24, 2025, in the Bronx in New York City. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

In a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, a Torres spokesperson asserted that Blake would lose the primary.

"Michael Blake is not interested in the Bronx; he’s only interested in using it to run for office for the fifth time, and the result will be the same as before: another loss," Torres' communications director Benny Stanislawski declared in the statement.

"There’s a reason Bronx voters trust Ritchie Torres. He’s been their champion in Congress, laser-focused on issues like public housing and affordability while standing up to Donald Trump. That’s why he’s going to win again next year," the statement added.

In a post on X last year, Torres called himself a "pragmatic progressive."

PRO-ISRAEL DEM SAYS THOSE WHO WON'T DECRY HAMAS OVER OCT. 7 ATTACK ‘HAVE NO BUSINESS’ POSING AS HUMANITARIANS

Blake's campaign site describes him as a "consistent progressive."

Torres has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2021.

In a 2020 Democratic House primary, Blake was the runner-up behind Torres, who went on to win in the general election later that year.

NY DEMOCRAT CALLS OUT FAR-LEFT ‘ABSURDITIES’ FROM ‘COLLEGE-EDUCATED ELITES’ INFLUENCING PARTY

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., speaks on stage during The Hill & Valley Forum 2025 at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center on April 30, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for 137 Ventures/Founders Fund/Jacob Helberg)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Blake unsuccessfully ran in the Democratic New York City mayoral primary earlier this year. 

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.