The race to replace Joel Rivera as City Council representative in District 15, which includes the Fordham-Bedford area, is shaping into the most unpredictable and interesting race in the Bronx this year.

Albert Alvarez, Rivera’s current chief of staff and longtime right-hand man, seemed as if he would be the likely shoo-in for office. However, the odds shifted quite dramatically on March 16 when all City Council candidates filed their latest campaign finance disclosure reports.

The estimated balances of Joel Bauza and William Rivera (no relation to Joel) more than overshadowed that of Alvarez. While Bauza and Rivera’s numbers show they have received generous financial support, even their numbers have been more than outdone by 25-year-old upstart Ritchie Torres.

William Rivera, a state committeeman for the 87th Assembly District, has been campaigning since September 2012. Over the course of these few short months, he has managed to gain enough financial aid from a mere 39 contributors to raise his campaign coffers to $35,000.

Such a massive gain is especially interesting for a candidate who lacks a campaign website and any substantial social media presence. The “William Rivera for City Council” page on Facebook is the only presence Rivera’s campaign has online.

Bauza, on the other hand, made the news not only because of his $28,000 balance, but also because of the endorsement he received from Bronx State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. Diaz, a Pentecostal minister, has openly backed Bauza since February. Bauza, who is the reverend of Calvary Church in the Bronx, appears to share some conservative ideals with Diaz, although it’s tough to tell because he doesn’t have a campaign website.

Bauza has, however, been vocal on the issue of gun violence, and has urged community members to actively work to stop it. His community involvement is evident not only in his leadership as a reverend, but also in the 116 contributors he has received since entering the race in February.

Though Bauza and Rivera may have gained some impressive financial backing in the past few months, no one in District 15 has managed to match Ritchie Torres, who has received a whopping $61,438. With the help of his 245 contributors, Torres has managed to make quite an impact on the race since he entered near the end of February. Torres has been working for east Bronx Councilman James Vacca since he was 16, first as a volunteer and later as a staffer.

Based on his already lengthy service record, endorsements from Vacca and Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj, and his ability to raise his funds so high in such a brief period, Torres looks like a contender.

Torres may lead in the fundraising department, but based on how the likes of Rivera and Bauza have performed in the past few months and Alvarez’s standing in the district, the frontrunner for District 15 may be too early to call. The next financial disclosure reports will be released in May.

Correction: An earlier version of this article mistakenly reported Ritchie Torres’ age. Torres turned 25 years old in mid-March.