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New York State Assembly District 85
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Emerita Torres
Democratic PartySTH · NY · District 85
New York State Assembly District 85
STH · NY · District 85
New York State Assembly District 85
New York University—B.A. in History; Harvard Kennedy School of Government—Master's in Public Policy
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Emérita Torres represents New York State Assembly District 85 in the South and Southeastern Bronx and is a lifelong Bronx resident with 20 years of experience in public policy, diplomacy, and advocacy. Before taking office, she served as Vice President of Policy, Research, and Advocacy at the Community Service Society of New York, worked for a decade as a U.S. diplomat with tours including Brazil, Pakistan, Colombia, Washington, D.C., and the United Nations, and served as Director of Policy Research and Programs at The Soufan Center.
Committee Assignments: Committee on Aging · Committee on Banks · Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection · Committee on Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry · Committee on Education · Committee on Housing · Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus · Task Force on Food, Farm & Nutrition Policy · Legislative Women's Caucus · Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force
Emerita Torres supports expanding health care access and mental health resources, including co-sponsoring the New York Health Act and publicly backing statewide mental health clubhouse expansion. As Assemblymember for District 85, she has also proposed health-related consumer and patient protections, including medical-record access reforms and testing/disclosure requirements for toxic heavy metals in baby food and infant formula.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Torres publicly supported funding and statewide expansion of mental health clubhouses, calling for investments in comprehensive mental health care and community-based supports.
SourceEmerita Torres’s Economy & Jobs record emphasizes affordability, worker protections, small-business support, and equitable economic development for Assembly District 85. As a sitting Assemblymember, she has prime-sponsored bills on minimum-wage adequacy, algorithmic wage-setting, junk fees, and small-business payment-card penalties.
Emerita Torres supports immigrant-protective policies, including limiting state/local participation in federal immigration enforcement, improving transparency around immigration enforcement activity, protecting immigrant students from bullying and discrimination, and expanding language/legal access for immigrant New Yorkers.
Emerita Torres links climate policy to South Bronx environmental justice, citing asthma, flooding, highway pollution, and the need to cut carbon emissions and prepare for extreme weather. Her record includes opposing CLCPA rollbacks and highway expansion, and sponsoring bills on highway pollution, community gardens as critical environmental areas, and natural-disaster insurance mitigation.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Torres stated that she stood strongly against CLCPA rollbacks in the state budget and said New York must cut carbon emissions and prepare for extreme weather.
SourceEmerita Torres supports education policies focused on safer, more inclusive schools, expanded civic and history instruction, and improved access to college-savings information. As Assemblymember for New York Assembly District 85, she sits on the Assembly Education Committee and has sponsored or co-sponsored multiple education-related bills.
Emerita Torres frames public safety around community safety, immigrant protections, accountability for law enforcement, anti-discrimination protections in schools, and targeted local investments such as gun violence prevention. Her 2026 campaign materials and legislative records emphasize limiting state/local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, requiring transparency around ICE activity, restricting masked law-enforcement tactics, and protecting immigrant students from harassment.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Torres stated in a voter-guide response that she directed discretionary funding toward youth programs, gun violence prevention, and community development in the South Bronx.
SourceNew York State Assembly
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Emerita-TorresFetched: biography, education, background, location
Emerita Torres for NY
https://www.emeritatorres.com/meet-emeritaFetched: biography, education, background, location
City & State New York
https://www.cityandstateny.com/personality/2025/01/meet-2025-class-new-state-lawmakers/402275/Fetched: location, background
New York State Assembly Member Directory
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Emerita-TorresFetched: votingRecord
MyRepTracker
https://www.myreptracker.com/new-york/legislators/ny-house-85-emerita-torres/voting-recordFetched: votingRecord
FollowTheMoney search results
https://www.google.com/search?q=Emerita+Torres+followthemoneyFetched: campaignFinance
Blue Voter Guide - New York State Assembly District 85
https://bluevoterguide.org/district/NY/New_York_State_Assembly_District_85/51936/830Fetched: endorsements
VOTE411 Voter Guide - New York Assembly District 85
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73189504Fetched: endorsements
NYSUT Endorsements
https://www.nysut.org/resources/special-resources-sites/voter-guide/endorsementsFetched: endorsements
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A9026
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A9026Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A8905
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A8905Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A1466
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A1466Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Yudelka Tapia Newsroom
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Yudelka-Tapia/story/113121Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly member legislation page
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Emerita-Torres/sponsor/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly A07770 bill page
https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?Actions=Y&Memo=Y&Summary=Y&Text=Y&bn=A07770&default_fld=&term=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly A09641 bill page
https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?Actions=Y&Summary=Y&Text=Y&bn=A9641&default_fld=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly A09604 bill page
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?Actions=Y&Chamber%26nbspVideo%2FTranscript=Y&Committee%26nbspVotes=Y&Floor%26nbspVotes=Y&LFIN=Y&Memo=Y&Summary=Y&Text=Y&bn=A9604A&default_fld=&leg_video=&term=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate A11283 bill page
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A11283Fetched: issuePositions
Emerita Torres for NY - Accomplishments
https://www.emeritatorres.com/accomplishmentsFetched: issuePositions
VOTE411 Voter Guide
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73189504Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Sponsored Legislation
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Emerita-Torres/sponsor/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill A10607
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?bn=A10607&leg_video=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Bill A8901
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A8901Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Bill A9016B
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A9016/amendment/BFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly member profile
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Emerita-TorresFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly sponsored legislation page
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Emerita-Torres/sponsor/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate bill page A7977
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A7977Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate bill page A11244
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A11244Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate bill page A11593
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A11593Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate bill page A6490
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A6490Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate bill page A4638
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A4638Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate legislation page for A3506
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A3506Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate legislation page for A8908
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A8908Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate legislation page for A9376
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A9376Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate legislation page for A7977
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A7977Fetched: issuePositions
VOTE411 Voter Guide for New York Assembly District 85
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73189504Fetched: issuePositions
Emerita Torres campaign accomplishments page
https://blackbird-gold-cf3s.squarespace.com/accomplishmentsFetched: issuePositions