By Aaron Arreguin | LPL News Wire| January 2, 2026

WATERFORD, MI — Longtime Waterford School Board Trustee John Paul Torres has announced his candidacy for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District, entering the race as current Rep. Haley Stevens seeks election to the U.S. Senate.

Torres, a first-generation Mexican American, said his campaign is rooted in a lifelong commitment to public service shaped by his family’s civil rights legacy. His father, a civil rights advocate who marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and was active in the United Auto Workers, later became a U.S. citizen and served in the U.S. Army.

During his tenure on the Waterford School Board, Torres has focused on education equity, juvenile justice reform, and securing critical funding for schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also worked closely with courts and community partners to expand services for veterans, youth, and individuals facing mental health challenges.

Torres says his priorities include immigration reform that provides a clear path to citizenship without separating families, protecting public education, and ensuring Democratic leadership remains accountable to working families across Oakland County.

John Paul and his wife, Anna, have lived in Waterford for 28 years and raised their family there. The 11th Congressional District spans much of Oakland County, including communities such as Pontiac, Royal Oak, Troy, Farmington Hills, and West Bloomfield.

More information about the campaign is available at JohnPaulTorresforCongress.com.