California’s 35th congressional district has been and will continue to be well-represented by practical Democratic Rep. Norma Torres. As we did two years ago, we gladly endorse her re-election.
The district spans Pomona to Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga down to Eastvale and Chino. As such, it bridges Los Angeles County to the Inland Empire.
Torres, who was born in Guatemala and came to the U.S. as a child, has been a thoughtful and most importantly, balanced voice in her party. While no doubt in line with the norm of the Democratic Party on core issues, Torres has been willing to work across the aisle to get things done and has been willing to stand up to the progressive wing of her party.
From taking heat for her endorsement of Republican San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman in 2022 to her recent vote to aid Israel in its fight against Hamas terrorists, is willing to take stands not because they will make her popular but because she believes they are the right thing to do.
Practically, Torres consistently delivers the goods for her district. In the last six months, she has been able to help deliver tens of millions of dollars in federal funds to improve the Ontario International Airport, tens of millions of dollars to improve road and pedestrian safety in Fontana, and $1.8 million in educational grants to Cal Poly Pomona. Additionally, along with Rep. Ken Calvert, she has also helped Eastvale finally get its own zip code. Far from being an aloof politico out in Washington, D.C., Torres remains as plugged in to the needs of her district as ever.
Given her roots, it’s fitting that Torres has remained a staunch advocate of critical engagement with Central America. She understands better than most that in order to limit the flood of migrants coming to the United States, the quality of life in Central America must be improved. Generations of poverty, rampant corruption and a tendency to succumb to authoritarian strongmen make this difficult, to say the least. Yet Torres has and will remain focused on trying to diplomatically steer these nations in the right direction and educating her colleagues about the challenges of the region.
Of course, Torres has her critics and her challengers. There are those on the left that don’t think she’s sufficiently progressive. Her chief Republican challenger in recent years has been a nutty conspiracy theorist who sincerely believes “there’s a Satanic cabal running the world.” And, of course, there are some rabid fans of El Salvador’s authoritarian strongman Nayib Bukele who don’t like that Torres sees him for who he is.
We respect Rep. Norma Torres for standing up to the loons on her left and the loon on her right. We don’t agree with her on everything, but she remains a reasonable voice amid the cacophony around us. She understands that America is the land of opportunity, that the U.S. Constitution means something and that Congress can get things done for the American people if it spends less time on theatrics and more time solving problems.
