By Colin Campbell 5/22/12 1:20pm

Endorsements

(Photo: Wikimedia)

‘Rangel Solidifies Latino Support’

Earlier today, Congressman Charlie Rangel’s reelection campaign touted the support he received from his colleague in the U.S. House, Rep. José Serrano. The announcement, while not a surprise, is the latest chapter in an endorsement war going on between Mr. Rangel and one of his main challengers, State Senator Adriano Espaillat.

“I support Congressman Rangel because he has fought for our community with every fiber of his being,” Mr. Serrano said in a statement that stressed his status as “the most senior Member of Congress of Puerto Rican descent.”  Mr. Espaillat is of Dominican descent and the incumbent’s campaign has previously emphasized its support among Puerto Rican elected officials. Read More

By David Freedlander 5/18/12 1:57pm

Uptown

clyde9

Williams Thanks Clinton For Staying Out Of Rangel Race

This morning The New York Post reported that Bill Clinton had decided to stay neutral in Charlie Rangel’s congressional race, after recording a robo-call for the longtime Harlem pol when he was facing a tight re-election in 2010.

This afternoon, Clyde Williams, who served in the Clinton administration, was later a domestic policy adviser to the Clinton Foundation and went on to work for the Democratic National Committee under Barack Obama, sent out a statement touting his own relationship to the former president and thanking him for staying out of the race. Read More

By Hunter Walker 5/02/12 8:30am

Uptown

Illustration by, Dale Stephanos

One Last Sale: Can Charlie Rangel Convince Voters to Give Him Another Term in Washington?

Congressman Charlie Rangel didn’t want to discuss who will succeed him in the House of Representatives.

“Is this an obituary?” he asked during a sometimes combative phone interview on Monday afternoon, which the longtime lawmaker described as a “rough one.”

“I’m 81-years-old, you want me to discuss what happens in three years? At the end of this year plus two. Would that make sense at all?” he asked.

Rather than deciding whom to anoint as heir, the outspokenly liberal octogenarian is facing what could be the closest campaign of his more than forty year career, while simultaneously coping with fading health and the waning power of the political empire he built in Harlem. Read More

By Hunter Walker 4/27/12 9:11am

Uptown

Clyde Williams

Clyde Williams: ‘I Will Be On The Ballot June 26′

Former DNC political director Clyde Williams faced two challenges to the 6,000 petition signatures he obtained to get on the ballot in the congressional race for Upper Manhattan’s 13th district that he blamed on “associates” of the incumbent, Charlie Rangel. Those objections have expired and Mr. Williams said he’s going to be on the ballot without issue.

“Thousands of residents who signed my petitions participated in the electoral process and now their voices will be heard. I will be on the ballot on June 26,” Mr. Williams told The Politicker. “We now enter a new phase of the race and I look forward to continuing to engage voters and share ideas for the future of this community.” Read More

By Hunter Walker 4/20/12 7:51pm

Uptown

Adriano Espaillat and Charlie Rangel. (Photo: Facebook)

The Paper Chase In The 13th District

On Monday, the five Democrats vying to represent the 13th District submitted petitions to get on the ballot. Today, objectors filed challenges to some of those petitions and former DNC head Clyde Williams accused the incumbent, Charlie Rangel, of “trying to  silence the voices of change.”

“Last night, I learned that associates of Charlie Rangel intend to try to block my access to the ballot,” Mr. Williams wrote on his Facebook page. “Some might say a petition challenge is the sincerest form of flattery. But in fact what my opponents are challenging is the right of the people to be heard – trying to silence the voices of change. I will fight this challenge because I – like so many District residents – share a the desire to change our fortunes and seize our future for the better.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 4/17/12 3:12pm

paterson's pontifications

Adriano Espaillat (Photo: Facebook)

David Paterson Says Adriano Espaillat Will Make it to Congress, Someday

Former Governor David Paterson, who comes from the same Harlem political machine as Congressman Charlie Rangel, may think Mr. Rangel will fend off State Senator Adriano Espaillat’s challenge this year, but he told The Politicker today that Mr. Espaillat will eventually make it to Washington D.C.

“Even with the huge population, we do not have a Dominican member of the House of Representatives, and one day I think Senator Espaillat will be that person,” he said when asked about the campaign after his press conference on taxi payment accessibility. “In this particular race, we’ll have to let the voters decide.” Read More

By Hunter Walker 4/16/12 1:37pm

Here and Gone

Ruben Dario Vargas (Photo: New York City Campaign Finance Board)

Ruben Vargas’ Congressional Campaign Spontaneously Combusts

Sunday night, Ruben Dario Vargas, a community activist who has run multiple unsuccessful campaigns for public office, announced he’d be throwing his hat into the race for Congressman Charlie Rangel’s seat and would be launching his campaign today at noon. However, Mr. Vargas’ campaign ended almost as quickly as it began. At the event that was supposed to be the start of his campaign, Mr. Vargas instead announced he will be dropping out of the race he was in for less than 24 hours and giving his endorsement to another candidate, State Senator Adriano Espaillat. Read More

By Hunter Walker 4/16/12 8:11am

Cash Money

Adriano Espaillat (Photo: New York State Senate)

Espaillat Raises $62,055 In Bid To Unseat Rangel

Adriano Espaillat has raised $62,055 so far in his beat to unseat veteran Congressman Charles Rangel according to his campaign committee’s first quarterly report. While Mr. Espaillat’s haul is hardly massive, the report only includes a few weeks of fundraising since he officially launched his campaign at the beginning of the month. Mr. Rangel also raised a similar amount for the quarter, $67,273, however he spent much of that time in and out of the hospital with what he and his staff have described as a back injury. Read More

By Hunter Walker 4/05/12 10:42am

ny-13

Adriano Espaillat speaking to the Barack Obama Democratic Club. (Photo: Hunter Walker)

Barack Obama Democratic Club Backs Espaillat

The Barack Obama Democratic Club endorsed Adriano Espaillat in his bid for the Congressional seat currently occupied by Charlie Rangel at a candidates forum at the Church of the Intercession on W. 155th Street that featured (almost) all five people running in the race. Mr. Rangel, who has been in and out of the hospital after suffering a back injury last month, was represented by Councilwoman Inez Dickens. The club also endorsed its founder, Mark Levine, for the State Senate seat being vacated by Mr. Espaillat and longtime Assemblyman Herman “Denny” Farrell in his re-election bid. Read More