On Nov. 19, Congressman-elect, Ritchie Torres, was elected by his freshmen, House of Representatives colleagues to a new leadership role for the 117th Congress, as their representative in “the Crescendo”. In this position, Torres will represent newly-elected, Democratic members in weekly crescendo meetings with House of Representatives Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and House caucus chairs.

 

Torres, the first openly-LGBTQ, Afro-Latino member of Congress, will be the first freshman in this position, and as such, will have the opportunity to discuss the freshman class’s high-priority items directly with the speaker on a weekly basis. The crescendo meetings include one representative from each affinity and ideological caucus in the House of Representatives.

 

Additionally, Congressman-elect Torres will be joining both the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the first member of Congress permitted to do so.

 

“I am honored and grateful for the trust and responsibility my freshmen colleagues have placed in me to represent them in weekly crescendo leadership meetings. Our class is the most diverse in our nation’s history, and I look forward to sharing their wide-ranging priorities and concerns from their constituents directly with the House leadership.”