Asm. Emerita Torres
Emerita Torres represents AD-85, a D+66 district in which she won her 2024 general election with 79.0% of the vote against Kelly Atkinson, a margin of 60.6 points; the district is rated Safe D across all modeled electoral environments. AD-85 is a heavily Democratic, majority-Hispanic urban district — 66.4% Hispanic and 32.5% Black — with a poverty rate of 30.9%, a homeownership rate of 15.2%, a median household income of $43,267, and a voter registration breakdown of 72.1% Democrat and 5.9% Republican. First elected in 2023, Torres sponsored 30 bills in the 2025 session, with her heaviest concentration in General Business (8 bills), followed by Agriculture and Markets, Education, Insurance, Labor, and Public Authorities at 2 bills each. The top lobbying sectors active in her district and the nature of any committee assignments or chairmanships were not specified in available data, though her sponsorship pattern across General Business and Public Authorities reflects a broad commercial and institutional policy focus.AI
Topic Focus AI
Topics extracted by AI from joint Senate-Assembly committee hearing transcripts and floor debate. Tag size reflects number of supporting citations.
Key Issues AI
Key issue areas derived from floor debate speeches and sponsored bill law sections.
Legislative Activity (2025–2026)
Bill sponsorship from NYS Open Legislation API. Hearing appearances from joint Senate-Assembly committee transcripts. Floor debate from official Assembly session transcripts (Granicus, 2023–present).
Bill Focus Areas 2025–2026
Grouped by law section from sponsored Assembly bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation API.
Floor Speeches: In Support (11) AI
The bill codifies a labor agreement with graduate student employees, providing 3 percent annual stipend increases and new minimum stipends. It recognizes graduate assistants as a core part of SUNY's academic workforce whose work supports groundbreaking research and innovation.
Torres emphasized that the Thruway Authority collects $980 million in tolls annually but has operated without sufficient transparency. The bill addresses fairness and equity by requiring biannual reporting and vendor contracting reports to ensure minority- and women-owned businesses have equal opportunities.
Torres emphasized that the Thruway Authority's $980 million in annual toll collections warrant greater transparency and accountability. She argued the bill enables tracking of financial health, spending, and vendor contracting practices, particularly for minority- and women-owned businesses, creating a level playing field.
Stressed that consumers deserve to know when charged different prices based on personal data. Noted New York will be first in the nation to implement this standard and ensure clear disclosure and accountability for algorithmic pricing.
Floor Speeches: In Opposition AI
No recorded floor speeches in opposition found in our transcript archive for this member.
Electoral History AD-85
General Elections
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Emerita Torres 79.0% (20,881) | Kelly Atkinson 18.4% (4,849) | 60.6pts |
| 2022 | Kenneth Burgos 84.7% (11,378) | Laurine Berry 15.3% (2,062) | 69.4pts |
| 2020 | Kenneth Burgos 88.3% (27,924) | Janelle King 9.7% (3,065) | 78.6pts |
| 2018 | Marcos A. Crespo 95.5% (20,783) | Shonde M. Lennon 3.7% (805) | 91.8pts |
| 2016 | Marcos A. Crespo 93.3% (25,812) | Janelle M. King 3.7% (1,033) | 89.6pts |
| 2014 | Marcos A. Crespo 93.7% (9,408) | Janelle M. King 3.6% (357) | 90.1pts |
| 2012 | Marcos A. Crespo 95.9% (24,997) | Janelle King 2.4% (620) | 93.5pts |
| 2010 | Marcos A. Crespo 93.8% (11,213) | Leopold L. Paul 3.7% (438) | 90.1pts |
| 2008 | Ruben Diaz, Jr. 95.7% (23,423) | Nelson Moran 3.5% (867) | 92.2pts |
| 2006 | Ruben Diaz, Jr. 94.8% (10,195) | William J. McDonagh 5.2% (554) | 89.6pts |
| 2004 | Ruben Diaz, Jr. 94.1% (20,251) | William Newmark 5.9% (1,262) | 88.2pts |
| 2002 | Ruben Diaz, Jr. 92.6% (8,957) | William Newmark 7.4% (711) | 85.2pts |
| 2000 | Ronald C. Tocci 95.7% (32,672) | Sheila S. Naughton 4.3% (1,465) | 91.4pts |
| 1998 | Ronald C. Tocci 96.7% (26,198) | Sheila S. Naughton 3.3% (905) | 93.4pts |
| 1996 | Ronald C. Tocci 93.8% (32,445) | Edward C. Molisani 6.2% (2,133) | 87.6pts |
Primary Elections
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 (Democratic) | Kenneth Burgos 61.8% (5,778) | William Russell Moore 38.2% (3,573) | 23.6pts |
| 2016 (Democratic) | Marcos A. Crespo 73.1% (2,635) | William R. Moore 26.9% (972) | 46.2pts |
| 2014 (Democratic) | Marcos A. Crespo 75.8% (2,745) | William R. Moore 24.2% (874) | 51.6pts |
Special Elections
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Marcos Crespo 91.4% (1,331) | Leopold L. Paul 7.3% (106) | 84.1pts |
Source: NYS Board of Elections certified results. ⚡ = margin under 10 pts. District history reflects 2022 redistricted boundaries.
Vulnerability Index AD-85
Base lean: D+75
- Limited contested election data — registration lean used as primary signal
Scenario model: ±5pt national environment shift applied to district base lean (D+75). Base lean blends voter registration (40%) with recent contested general election margins (60%), using up to the last 4 general elections with margins under 40 points. Ratings: Safe D/R = 15+ pts, Likely = 8–14 pts, Lean = 3–7 pts, Toss-up = within 2 pts (Assembly districts are smaller and more homogeneous than Senate districts, so tighter thresholds are used). Generic ballot from Silver Bulletin (Nate Silver), as of 5/21/2026. Not a prediction — reflects structural competitiveness under different cycle environments.
District 85 Profile
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024).
Voter Registration
Demographics
Commute Mode
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2024). Race and ethnicity figures may not sum to 100% — Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity category that overlaps with racial groups.
Lobbying Activity
No lobbying disclosures on record for this member in the available dataset.
Source: NY Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government via data.ny.gov.