On a chilly Saturday afternoon, close to two dozen people crowded into a narrow storefront near Yankee Stadium. They came to attend a volunteer-organizing event for the Andre Easton campaign, the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s candidate to represent the 15th Congressional District. The purpose of the event was to equip volunteers with the language and knowledge to communicate the campaign’s platform to voters.

For Easton, the event captured the grassroots nature of his campaign.

“The chief aspect of this campaign is to put power and politics into the hands of the people of the Bronx,” he told Best in the Bronx. “So often, politicians speak down from high and above the people they claim to represent. We want to put the language and ideas of our campaign into the hands of the people.”

Easton is challenging incumbent Ritchie Torres to represent the Bronx’s 15th Congressional District, which includes the neighborhoods of Allerton, Bathgate, Baychester, Belmont, Claremont, Fordham, Melrose, Morrisania, Morris Park, Mott Haven, Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, Tremont, Olinville, Norwood, Highbridge , Van Nest, West Farms, Williamsbridge and Woodlawn. Easton is running as an independent candidate and will appear on the ballot in the midterm election on November 3, 2026.

Torres has drawn criticism for his vocal support of Israel, his fundraising from real estate interests and his vote in favor of the Laken Riley Act, which requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants accused of committing nonviolent crimes. Although Torres bills himself as progressive, many of his competitors in this election cycle are challenging him from the left due to his position on these issues. Besides Easton, Torres will face challenges from Democratic Socialists of America candidate Dalourny Nemorin and former New York Assemblyman Michael Blake.

Easton has centered his campaign around issues that would redistribute wealth. His campaign platform advocates for raising taxes on the rich, increasing the federal minimum wage to $30 an hour, funding programs aimed at ensuring rent is limited to 20 percent of income, and supporting universal childcare and healthcare programs.

Easton said these policies would directly benefit residents of District 15, which is the nation’s poorest congressional district.

“We need socialism because we need a system that places our collective needs over the profits of a few capitalists,” he told Best in the Bronx.

Easton said the recent election victory of Zohran Mamdani demonstrated the popularity of socialist policies in New York City.

“The specter of McCarthyism is fading,” he said. “Now is the best time to proudly proclaim ourselves socialists without apology.”

Mamdani galvanized voters to head to polls, leading to the highest turnout in a New York City mayoral election in more than half a century. The Mamdani campaign, spearheaded by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), used its extensive network of volunteers to reach voters through door knocking and phone banking efforts.

The Andre Easton campaign plans to use a similar approach. They are starting out with a series of teaching sessions to educate potential volunteers about the campaign’s platform. Those who attend the teaching sessions are encouraged to take part in canvassing efforts during the campaign.

At Saturday’s event, Easton showcased his experience as a public school teacher.

“You know I always like to call on the people who sit in the back of my class,” he joked to the audience while encouraging people to share their experiences at Bronx public schools.

The event, titled “Strong Schools, Safe Streets,” drew attention to the way police are used to address social problems, rather than investing in programs that address the root causes of those issues.

Easton played a news clip of Torres calling for increased police presence around the Hub, located at 3rd Avenue and East 149th Street, where there is a concentration of opioid users. Easton said the problem should be addressed as a health issue, rather than turning to police. He also pointed to a study showing a correlation between rent increases and drug-related deaths to demonstrate why tackling the affordability crisis could alleviate other quality of life issues.

Andre Easton leads a volunteer event for his campaign. Source: Best in the Bronx.

Attendee Javier Curillo said he was encouraged by the event’s turnout.

“It shows there are many people who are committed to volunteering, to meeting people in the community and talking to them about this campaign,” he said.

Although the Andre Easton campaign is employing a volunteer effort similar to other successful socialist political campaigns, he has declined to challenge Torres in the Democratic Primary. The DSA, which has been successful in getting candidates like Mamdani and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez elected, mainly runs its candidates in the primary for the Democratic nomination.

Easton, who is backed by the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), will run in the Midterm Election as an independent candidate. He said the Democratic Party cannot be trusted to support policies that will advance socialism in the United States.

“There is a long history of the Democratic Party forsaking and abandoning the Left whenever there is an opportunity to produce benefits that will have a lasting impact,” he said. “We can no longer afford to exist in this two-party system. Our future, our lives and the life of the planet depends on it.”