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Not like us.
Bronx residents repped by Rep. Ritchie Torres — a pro-Israel moderate Democrat who trounced a progressive challenger this week — said a “whole ocean” separates them from the far-left wave that swept crunchy Big Apple neighborhoods.
While three Mayor Zohran Mamdani-backed lefties prevailed over establishment Dems in areas including swanky Manhattan and Brooklyn neighborhoods, Torres dominated his foe Michael Blake in the 15th House District covering the working-class south and west Bronx.
A slew of Torres’ constituents told The Post that the lefties’ mix of Israel-bashing and Democratic Socialists of America ideological box-checking wouldn’t fly on their turf.
“When you think of Park Slope and Greenwich Village and who lives there compared to us here, the Bronx, there is a whole ocean separating us,” said Carlos M., 38, a dad of two who works in sales.
“They don’t have to think about not having enough money to pay the rent, skipping one bill to pay another, roaches crawling all over your apartment like they own the place,” he said, shaking his head.
“They don’t live in neighborhoods like ours,” he added. “They don’t have our worries, so they can vote on what is going on in the Middle East and not on real issues affecting real people in our neighborhoods.”
The far-left red sweep by Mamdani’s DSA allies Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez, along with avowed progressive Brad Lander, clinched the mayor’s status as a lefty kingmaker and his potential takeover of the Democratic Party.
But moderate Dems, including House Minority Speaker Hakeem Jeffries, argued chatter about the DSA’s party takeover was overblown — and pointed at Torres’ success in The Boogie Down during Tuesday’s primaries.
Jeffries pointed out during an MS NOW interview that many districts won by Mamdani’s crew tended to be higher-income, with an outsized focus on issues connected to the Middle East.
“Ritchie Torres was running against somebody who was heavily critical of Ritchie Torres’ position on Israel, and he won by 50 points,” he said.
Several Bronx residents said lefty voters’ focus on Israel came at the detriment of bread-and-butter issues.
Erickson Vargas, 23, who works in an appliance store, said some of the young, educated voters brought their causes to the election, but he argued they should be thinking locally, not focused on foreign countries.
“We should be focused locally and not on the Middle East,” he said.
“Their hearts are in the right place but the focus is wrong. They are not invested in this country, only in their cause.”
After the stunning wins by their comrades, emboldened DSA leaders crowed they’d use the newfound clout to press Gov. Kathy Hochul, a moderate Dem, to back the long-held lefty goal of taxing the rich. They also warned Jeffries that he has a “target on his back in 2028.”
Hasan Piker — a rising lefty streamer and vociferous critic of Israel — specifically called out Torres as election results Tuesday night showed the red sweep.
“I was coming for you, but you got lucky this time,” he taunted, blasting Torres’ zealous support for Israel. “I’ll see you in two years, motherf–ker.”
But born-and-raised Bronx voters such as Eddie Rivera, 61, signaled it’d be a tall order to topple Torres.
“Richie Torres is for the people,” he said. “He comes around, he asks what is going on.”
Likewise, Carlos said he voted for Torres because he liked what the congressman does for the community.
“The mayor and his DSA candidates say they are for us, but look who are voting for them,” he said, laughing.
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