Carmen Torres, an Orlando-based community activist, was born in San Juan Puerto Rico, and raised in New York City’s borough of the Bronx. Together with her husband of 33 years, Senator, Victor “Vic” Torres, their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild, they’ve made Central Florida home. As a longtime resident of Central Florida, Carmen has dedicated over 29 years to building relationships, empowering voters, and defending democracy. The list of local, county, regional, statewide, and federal campaigns she has worked on is long, and the list of past and present elected officials she’s mentored and supported is longer. She has been a part of many political and progressive social justice, environmental, and equality rights campaigns both in Central Florida and throughout the state. 

She is a proud union member and supporter, standing in solidarity with various union families such as The Patrol Benevolent Association (PBA), The International Painters Union and Allied Trades (IUPAT), Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Teamsters), and The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) to name a few.

Since 2003, Carmen has served as a member, board member, and treasurer of non-partisan organizations such as The League of Women Voters of Orange County (LWVOC), Florida Voters League, Inc., (FVL), and Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, (LCLAA). In the LWVOC she has been an active member working on their voter services committee, government committee, and speakers bureau. Carmen can always be found rolling up her sleeves and exercising her passion for registering voters, helping to organize candidate forums, and presenting to local high schools and the adult literacy league, as part of her commitment to defending democracy.

Carmen is a co-founder of Hablamos Español FL, Inc., a grassroots, volunteer-based, community organizing non-profit, whose mission is to reframe language justice in an English-only state, not just as a matter of translation but as an ongoing way of building both community and democracy.

Carmen firmly believes that the only reasons to run for elected office are to serve the public, support our local school districts, cities, and county priorities and ensure our children, veterans, and seniors have a strong advocate in Tallahassee.

Carmen has a unique perspective on what it takes to work collaboratively with local, state, and federal colleagues to continue to deliver tens of millions of dollars for our beloved communities’ local projects and programs, with her community activist roots intact.

If elected to the Florida State Senate, she will continue the many years of work she and her family began when they arrived in Florida in 1992, always in service to the residents of central Florida, especially the community that encompasses Senate District 25.