Patricia Torres Ray (born March 25, 1964) is a Colombian-American politician and former member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represented District 63, which includes portions of southeastern Minneapolis and eastern Richfield in Hennepin County in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. She is the first Latina woman to serve in the Minnesota Senate. She ran for Congress in Minnesota's 5th district in 2018 to succeed Congressman Keith Ellison, but lost the primary to Ilhan Omar. In November 2021, she announced that she would not run for reelection in 2022.

Education

Torres Ray studied at the University of Minnesota, earning a B.A. in urban studies and a MPA from the Humphrey Institute in 2004.

Minnesota Senate

Torres Ray was first elected in 2006, succeeding retiring Wes Skoglund. She was reelected in 2010, 2012, 2016, and 2020. Torres Ray's legislative concerns included education, health and human services, the environment, and economic development.

2010 lieutenant gubernatorial campaign

On March 31, 2010, state senator and 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial candidate John Marty announced that Torres Ray would be his running mate for lieutenant governor. The team withdrew from the race at the 2010 DFL State Convention.

2018 Congressional campaign

On June 5, 2018, Torres Ray filed to run for the 5th district congressional seat previously held by Keith Ellison. Her platform focused on public education, immigration, and climate change. The primary election was held on August 14, with State Representative Ilhan Omar receiving a plurality of votes to advance to the general election.

Electoral history

Personal life

Torres Ray met her husband, Jack, when he was a University of Minnesota student in Colombia for a study abroad internship. They married in 1987. She then immigrated to Minnesota with him, learned English, and became a U.S. citizen. She and Jack have two sons.