Champions on the Court, Fighters at the Polls: Michael Blake vs. Richie Torres | Nayma Silver-Matos Uptown

It's a new day in New York City — and Uptown Voices is here for all of it.The episode opens with hosts Led Black and Octavio Blanco still riding the high of the New York Knicks' first NBA championship in decades. From the celebrations at 181st and Cabrini to Dyckman Street to the packed subway cars after the final buzzer, they share the kind of community joy that only Uptown can deliver — and draw a straight line from Jalen Brunson's leadership on the court to the political leadership the Bronx and upper Manhattan need right now.Then: two candidates who want to bring that same energy to government.First up is Nayma Silver-Matos, a Dyckman native, youth development veteran, and caretaker who is running to represent District 31 in the New York State Senate against longtime incumbent Robert Jackson. She speaks candidly about the drug injection site debate on 190th Street, the unmet needs of working-class families in upper Manhattan, ACS oversight, and why her fifteen years on the front lines of civic life have prepared her to go to Albany and fight.Then Michael Blake — Bronx-born, Obama White House veteran, former State Assemblymember, and ordained reverend — makes his case for why he's the right person to unseat Richie Torres in NY-15, one of the poorest congressional districts in the country. Blake breaks down his platform on immigration, housing, Medicare for All, and the genocide in Gaza, and explains why he has 32 endorsements and seven labor union backers against a two-million-dollar APAC-funded incumbent.The episode closes with Led and Octavio in a wide-ranging post-interview conversation about the state of the Democratic Party, the role of foreign policy money in local races, the misinformation campaigns targeting Uptown's Dominican community on social media, and why this moment — the Knicks, Mamdani, Blake, Silver-Matos — feels like a genuine turning point for New York.This is why Uptown Voices exists. Subscribe. Vote. Spread love — it's the Uptown way.00:00  Cold Open  00:58  Welcome + Big Announcements  01:03  Knicks Champions! Led's Night in Uptown  01:53  Octavio's Night in Queens  04:56  Knicks Fan Interviews on Dyckman  05:26  Shoutout: Elizabeth Schwey / Gothamist Nutcracker Piece  06:13  Guest #1: Nayma Silver-Matos — NY State Senate, District 31  06:51  Nayma's Origin Story  10:18  From Youth Development to Albany  12:21  The Unmet Needs of District 31  15:41  The On Point Debate Continued  17:19  Nayma Returns + Closes  19:46  Nayma's Info + Handoff 20:10  Bridge: Early Voting + Eric Adams Postmortem  20:36  Guest #2: Michael Blake — NY-15, Bronx Congress  21:20  Why Congress, Why Now  22:32  The Case Against Richie Torres  23:28  Endorsements + Labor Support 26:28  Octavio Plays Devil's Advocate on Housing  28:35  Day One in Congress  31:37  How Blake Was Built for This Moment  32:55  On APAC, Faith, and Staying Strong  35:41  Blake's Info + Call to Action  36:56  Post-Interview: The Dam Is Breaking  42:43  Led Endorses Darializa Avila Chevalier  43:16  Octavio on Representation and Centering  46:02  Would We Have Ritchie Torres on Uptown Voices?  49:02  Dominican Social Media Misinformation  51:39  The Ugliness of This Campaign Season  57:29  Clean House: The Democratic Party Reckoning  59:37  Close: Go Vote, Subscribe, Spread Love  About Nayma Silver-MatosNayma Silver-Matos is a community organizer, youth development professional, and caretaker running for New York State Senate District 31, which covers Washington Heights, Inwood, and parts of northern Manhattan. She is challenging incumbent Senator Robert Jackson, who has held various elected offices in the district for decades.Website: nayma2026.com | Instagram: @NaymaSilverMatosAbout Michael BlakeMichael Blake is a Bronx native, ordained reverend, Obama White House veteran, and former New York State Assemblymember (District 79) who served six years in Albany. He is running for Congress in NY-15 to unseat incumbent Richie Torres, who has held the seat representing one of the poorest congressional districts in the country.Website: michaelblakeforcongress.com | Instagram: @michaelblakeforcongress X: @MikeBlake1922 & @MrMikeBlake | TikTok: Blake4TheBronxElection InformationEarly voting for the June 2026 NYC primary is open now. Election Day is Tuesday, June 23, 2026.NY State Senate District 31 (Washington Heights / Inwood): Nayma Silver-Matos vs. Robert JacksonNY-13 Congressional (Uptown Manhattan): Darializa Avila Chevalier — Led Black endorses on airNY-15 Congressional (The Bronx): Michael Blake vs. Richie TorresSupport Uptown VoicesSupport Hyperlocal Media: Uptown Voices is a fiscally sponsored project of the Maysles Documentary Center. Support our mission here: https://bit.ly/4eddiWT