| State: | New York |
| District Number: | 15 |
| Image Caption: | Interactive map of district boundaries |
| Representative: | Ritchie Torres |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Residence: | The Bronx |
| Percent Urban: | 100 |
| Percent Rural: | 0 |
| Population: | 727,699 |
| Population Year: | 2022 |
| Median Income: | $42,090[1] |
| Percent White: | 9.3 |
| Percent Hispanic: | 54.7 |
| Percent Black: | 29.8 |
| Percent Asian: | 3.2 |
| Percent More Than One Race: | 1.9 |
| Percent Other Race: | 1.1 |
| Cpvi: | D+35[2] |
New York's 15th congressional district for the United States House of Representatives is located in New York City, State of New York. The district has been represented by Democrat Ritchie Torres since 2021. It is the poorest congressional district in the United States.[3]
The 15th district is located entirely within the Bronx, namely the southern portion of the West Bronx as well as the South Bronx. Latinos make up the majority of the district's population, followed by Black people. Whites, Asians and other racial groups comprise a small minority. Yankee Stadium and the Bronx Zoo are both located within the district. The 15th district has the highest percentage of Puerto Ricans of any district in New York, and the second highest percentage of Dominican Americans of any district in New York, after the neighboring 13th congressional district.[4]
| Year | Election | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | President | Gore 87–7% | |
| 2004 | President | Kerry 90–9% | |
| 2008 | President | Obama 93–6% | |
| 2012 | President | Obama 97–3% | |
| 2016 | President | Clinton 94–5% | |
| 2020 | President | Biden 86–13% |
The district was a Brooklyn-based seat until 1982, when it was realigned to cover the East Side of Manhattan. Following the 1992 redistricting, it became the upper Manhattan seat previously designated the 19th District and the 18th District. After the 2012 redistricting, the 15th became the Bronx's primary district.
From 2003 to 2013 it was composed of Upper Manhattan, Rikers Island and a largely non-residential section of northwestern Queens on the shore of the East River mostly occupied by a Consolidated Edison facility and a New York Power Authority power plant. The district included the neighborhoods of Harlem, Inwood, Marble Hill, Spanish Harlem, Washington Heights, Morningside Heights, and portions of Manhattan that included Apollo Theater, Columbia University, and Grant's Tomb. Much of that district is now the, while the current 15th is essentially the successor of the former .
| Representative | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District established March 4, 1803 | ||||||||
| align=left | Gaylord Griswold | Federalist | nowrap | March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1805 | Elected in 1802. | |||
| align=left | Nathan Williams | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1805 – March 3, 1807 | Elected in 1804. | |||
| align=left | William Kirkpatrick | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1807 – March 3, 1809 | Elected in 1806. | |||
| align=left | Peter Buell Porter | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1809 – March 3, 1813 | Elected in 1808. Re-elected in 1810. Retired. | |||
From 1813 to 1823, two seats were apportioned to the 15th district, elected at-large on a general ticket.
| Cong ress | Years | Seat A | Seat B | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representative | Party | Electoral history | Representative | Party | Electoral history | |||||||
| nowrap | March 4, 1813 – June 21, 1813 | Vacant | Representative-elect William Dowse died February 18, 1813, before the term began. | Joel Thompson | Federalist | Elected in 1812. | ||||||
| nowrap | June 21, 1813 – December 20, 1813 | align=left | John M. Bowers | Federalist | Elected to finish Dowse's term. Lost election contest. | |||||||
| nowrap | December 20, 1813 – January 24, 1814 | Vacant | Election contested. | |||||||||
| nowrap | January 24, 1814 – March 3, 1815 | align=left | Isaac Williams Jr. | Democratic-Republican | Successfully contested Bowers's election. | |||||||
| nowrap | March 4, 1815 – March 3, 1817 | align=left | James Birdsall | Democratic-Republican | Elected in 1814. | align=left | Jabez Hammond | Democratic-Republican | Elected in 1814. | |||
| nowrap | March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1819 | align=left | Isaac Williams Jr. | Democratic-Republican | Elected in 1816. Retired. | align=left | John R. Drake | Democratic-Republican | Elected in 1816. Retired. | |||
| nowrap | March 4, 1819 – March 3, 1821 | align=left | Joseph S. Lyman | Democratic-Republican | Elected in 1818. Retired. | align=left | Robert Monell | Democratic-Republican | Elected in 1818. Lost re-election. | |||
| nowrap | March 4, 1821 – December 3, 1821 | Elections were held in April 1821. It is unclear when results were announced or credentials issued. | Elections were held in April 1821. It is unclear when results were announced or credentials issued. | |||||||||
| nowrap | December 3, 1821 – March 3, 1823 | align=left | Samuel Campbell | Democratic-Republican | Elected in 1821. Redistricted to the and lost re-election. | align=left | James Hawkes | Democratic-Republican | Elected in 1821. | |||
| Member | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history | Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | John Herkimer | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825 | Elected in 1822. Lost re-election. | 1823–1833 Herkimer County | ||
| align=left | Michael Hoffman | Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1833 | Elected in 1824. Re-elected in 1826. Re-elected in 1828. Re-elected in 1830. | |||
| align=left | Charles McVean | Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1835 | Elected in 1832. | 1833–1843 | ||
| align=left | Matthias J. Bovee | Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1837 | Elected in 1834. | |||
| align=left | John Edwards | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839 | Elected in 1836. | |||
| align=left | Peter J. Wagner | Whig | nowrap | March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1841 | Elected in 1838. | |||
| align=left | John Sanford | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843 | Elected in 1840. | |||
| align=left | Lemuel Stetson | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845 | Elected in 1842. | 1843–1853 | ||
| align=left | Joseph Russell | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1847 | Elected in 1844. | |||
| align=left | Sidney Lawrence | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1849 | Elected in 1846. | |||
| align=left | John R. Thurman | Whig | nowrap | March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851 | Elected in 1848. | |||
| align=left | Joseph Russell | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853 | Elected in 1850. | |||
| align=left | Charles Hughes | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855 | Elected in 1852. | 1853–1863 | ||
Edward Dodd | Opposition | nowrap | March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857 | Elected in 1854. Re-elected in 1856. | ||||
| Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1859 | ||||||
| align=left | James B. McKean | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1863 | Elected in 1858. Re-elected in 1860. | |||
John Augustus Griswold | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865 | Elected in 1862. Re-elected in 1864. Re-elected in 1866. | 1863–1873 | |||
| Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1869 | ||||||
| align=left | Adolphus H. Tanner | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1871 | Elected in 1868. | |||
| align=left | Joseph M. Warren | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1873 | Elected in 1870. | |||
| align=left | Eli Perry | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1872. | 1873–1883 | ||
| align=left | John H. Bagley Jr. | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877 | Elected in 1874. | |||
| align=left | Stephen L. Mayham | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879 | Elected in 1876. | |||
| align=left | William Lounsbery | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1881 | Elected in 1878. | |||
| align=left | Thomas Cornell | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1883 | Elected in 1880. | |||
| align=left | John H. Bagley Jr. | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885 | Elected in 1882. | 1883–1893 | ||
| align=left | Lewis Beach | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1885 – August 10, 1886 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1884. Died. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | August 10, 1886 – December 6, 1886 | ||||||
| align=left | Henry Bacon | Democratic | nowrap | December 6, 1886 – March 3, 1889 | Elected to finish Beach's term. Also elected in 1886 to the next term. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Moses D. Stivers | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1891 | Elected in 1888. | |||
| align=left | Henry Bacon | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893 | Elected in 1890. | |||
| align=left | Ashbel P. Fitch | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1893 – December 26, 1893 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1892. Resigned to become New York City Comptroller | 1893–1903 | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | December 26, 1893 – January 30, 1894 | ||||||
| align=left | Isidor Straus | Democratic | nowrap | January 30, 1894 – March 3, 1895 | Elected to finish Fitch's term. | |||
| align=left | Philip B. Low | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1899 | Elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. | |||
| align=left | Jacob Ruppert | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1903 | Elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | William H. Douglas | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1905 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1902. | 1903–1913 | ||
| align=left | J. Van Vechten Olcott | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1905 – March 3, 1911 | Elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. | |||
| align=left | Thomas G. Patten | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1913 | Elected in 1910. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | Michael F. Conry | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1913 – March 2, 1917 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916 but died. | 1913–1923 | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | March 2, 1917 – April 12, 1917 | ||||||
| align=left | Thomas F. Smith | Democratic | nowrap | April 12, 1917 – March 3, 1919 | Elected to finish Conry's term. | |||
| align=left | Peter J. Dooling | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1921 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1918. | |||
| align=left | Thomas J. Ryan | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1921 – March 3, 1923 | Elected in 1920. | |||
John J. Boylan | Democratic | March 4, 1923 – October 5, 1938 | Elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Died. | 1923–1933 | ||||
| 1933–1943 | ||||||||
| Vacant | nowrap | October 5, 1938 – January 3, 1939 | ||||||
| align=left | Michael J. Kennedy | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1943 | Elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. | |||
| align=left | Thomas F. Burchill | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1945 | Elected in 1942. | 1943–1953 | ||
| align=left | Emanuel Celler | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1953 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | John H. Ray | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1963 | Elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Redistricted to the and retired. | 1953–1963 Parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island | ||
Hugh Carey | Democratic | January 3, 1963 – December 31, 1974 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Resigned to become Governor of New York | 1963–1973 | ||||
| 1973–1983 | ||||||||
| Vacant | nowrap | January 1, 1975 – January 2, 1975 | ||||||
| align=left | Leo C. Zeferetti | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1983 | Elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Redistricted to the and lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Bill Green | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Redistricted to the and lost re-election. | 1983–1993 | ||
Charles Rangel | Democratic | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2013 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Redistricted to the . | 1993–2003 | ||||
| 2003–2013 Parts of Manhattan and Queens | ||||||||
| align=left | José E. Serrano | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2021 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Retired when diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. | 2013–2023 Parts of the Bronx | ||
Ritchie Torres | Democratic | January 3, 2021 – present | Elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. | |||||
| 2023–2025 Parts of the Bronx | ||||||||
| 2025–present Parts of the Bronx--> | ||||||||
In New York State electoral politics, there are numerous minor parties at various points on the political spectrum. Certain parties will invariably endorse either the Republican or Democratic candidate for every office, hence the state electoral results contain both the party votes, and the final candidate votes (Listed as "Recap").