One is Bronx rep. Ritchie Torres, who will become the first openly gay Black and Latino member of the house.
Ahead of his swearing in, Torres tweeted a thank you to Jose Serrano who held the seat for many years but decided to retire.
Thank you, @RepJoseSerrano, for dedicating your life to serving the people of the Bronx. You have- without fail- set the gold standard of decency and integrity in elected office. From the Bronx River to Puerto Rico, the impact of your service will be forever felt. https://t.co/t8P3L2sqwf
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) January 2, 2021
Also taking office is Mondaire Jones, the first openly gay Black member of Congress.
I won’t be sworn in as a Member of Congress until tomorrow, but I couldn’t resist stopping by our office tonight. Seeing my name on the wall still doesn’t feel real.
— Mondaire Jones (@MondaireJones) January 3, 2021
Thank you all for joining me on this journey. Tune into @CSPAN tomorrow at noon ET to watch as I take my oath! pic.twitter.com/0knSarkoIU
Jones is the only freshman Democrat as part of House leadership.
He represents parts of Rockland and Westchester County, replacing Nita Lowey, who also decided to retire.
"I am feeling great humility. You know, I'm here to serve, and I serve at the pleasure of a great people of Westchester and Rockland counties," Jones said. "And so I'm focused laser focused on doing a great job, and continuing to earn the trust that they have placed in me, you know, growing up for black and gay, I never imagined that someone like me, could run for Congress, let alone win."
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