Charlie Rangel preparing to cast a ballot for himself in Harlem. (Photo: Hunter Walker)

Charlie Rangel went to vote at P.S. 175 in Harlem this morning and, in a brief press conference afterward, the longtime congressman was dismissive of his opponents, the media and the entire possibility he might lose. Today's race is seen as potentially the toughest of the congressman's over forty years in office thanks to the changing demographics of his district. However, Mr. Rangel first replied with a joke when a reporter asked what he'd do if he loses.

"Well, if I lose tonight, I will sleep just like a baby and cry myself to sleep," he said with a smile.

After a few laughs, the Congressman followed up to say he doesn't think about losing at all.

"No, no," said Mr. Rangel. "If you have the spirit that's necessary to overcome these political obstacles and if you're fortunate enough to know that they're not obstacles that you can't overcome, than the whole attitude, 'What do I do if I lose?' never reaches that mental level. It really doesn't. I would find some way to tell you if I thought it did."

Prior to taking questions from the large crowd of assembled reporters, Congressman Rangel spoke for several minutes in an attempt to, in his words, "get rid of some of the nonsense questions" that have surrounded this race right off the bat.

"Let me try to get rid of some of the nonsense questions and that is, am I too old to run for reelection. Clearly, I've gone through the process, I've done what candidates are supposed to do," he said.

Several of Mr. Rangel's opponents have suggested his Upper Manhattan district is in need of new leadership after his over forty year tenure. The congressman has also been dogged by persistent reports of health problems. Between February and April he was hospitalized multiple times with what he described as spinal virus. Mr. Rangel attempted to shoot down any health concerns. He also implied his main rival, Adriano Espaillat, waited until he was in the hospital before deciding to run.

"I don't think anybody that's runnning or not running is going to challenge my health, albeit one candidate made certain that I had a health problem before he announced," Mr. Rangel said, adding, "Certainly, if health was a factor, he made one big political mistake."

Mr. Rangel said he was motivated to run to extend his lengthy tenure in the House of Representatives by the current climate in Washington. Though President Barack Obama has refrained from endorsing Mr. Rangel and even once implied he thought the congressman should retire, Mr. Rangel said his admiration for the president was one of his reasons for wanting to win re-election.

"The one reason why I think it's important that I be allowed to extend the service to my country, and the Congress and my district is because of the times that we find ourselves in the Congress. Never before have we faced such a fiscal crisis," said Mr. Rangel. "On the other side of this coin, I have never been so inspired by any politician and certainly no president as I have about President Obama."

In addition to Mr. Espaillat, former Democratic National Committee political director Clyde Williams, businesswoman Joyce Johnson and Craig Schley, an ex-model, are on the ballot against Mr. Rangel. The congressman said none of his opponents have shown they'd be a better choice for voters.

"I've been so fortunate in this campaign that none of them, not one of them, has ever indicated they can do the job better," Mr. Rangel said.

Both the New York Times and the Daily News gave their endorsements to Mr. Williams. Mr. Rangel criticized their decision, citing the large margin of victory he enjoyed in his last re-election campaign and his support from other elected officials.

"I know that some newspapers are committed to making decisions that are not always based on the facts, but that's their choice," Mr. Rangel said.

After nearly fifteen minutes of talking, Mr. Rangel's aides began to pry him away from the crowd of supporters and supporters that assembled outside the school to watch him vote. As he was walking back to his car, The Politicker asked about his accusation that Mr. Espaillat is hedging his bets in their congressional race by simultaneously circulating petitions in order to run re-election to the State Senate if he loses.

Congressman Rangel brandished an alleged copy of a petition he said Mr. Espaillat was circulating during their NY1 debate earlier this month. Yesterday, in a conversation with The Politicker, Mr. Espaillat vigorously denied he's still pursuing his senate seat and claimed the petition showed by Mr. Rangel looked "fake." However, the congressman repeated the charge on Good Day New York this morning saying Mr. Espaillat is "filing that he wants to run again for the State Senate" and "should at least be mature enough" to only go after one job.

In his press conference, Mr. Rangel reversed his stance and said he takes Mr. Espaillat's word that he's not running for multiple offices.

"I believe Esplinard when he says he's not running for anything except the Congress. I believe him," Mr. Rangel said, mispronouncing his opponents name. "I want this reporter and anyone else listening to know that when Senator Esplinard says on television with me that the only office that he's running for or interested in is the House of Representatives and that he has no interest in the seat that he vacated, which is the [State] Senate, that I am one person that believes him."

Now, with New York’s federal elections only a few weeks away, we take a look at each of the competitive elections on June 26, take a guess at which way the paper will go and deduce what kind of an effect it will have.

Disagree? Make it known in the comments.

U.S. Senate Republican Primary—Bob Turner vs. Wendy Long vs. George Maragos

It is no by means a certainty that The Times will endorse in the GOP Senate primary, and if they do, expect it to be a hold-you-nose-and-vote-for-the-guy-who-is-marginally-better-than-the-rest kind of endorsement. Expect something along the lines of the paper’s endorsement of Mitt Romney in the presidential primary in April, in which they mocked Mr. Romney for abandoning his moderating tendencies and slammed GOP extremism before declaring the Massachusetts governor “the best choice of the field.” For this little noticed Senate race for the right to go up against Kirsten Gillibrand, the paper is likely to go with Bob Turner, a Queens businessman-turned-congressman, who is far less strident in his social views than Wendy Long and more dynamic than George Maragos. Mr. Turner is running very much as the candidate of New York City, and hometown pride may count for something here.

How Much Will It Matter?

On its face, probably not all that much, since to most of the GOP primary electorate the paper remains a liberal rag that frequently skirts the edge of treason, but with turnout expected to be low, there remain Republicans in wealthy parts of New York City suburbs who aren’t paying much attention to the race, and will only decide who to vote for at the last moment, so a nod from the paper of record could prove decisive.

NY08—Hakeem Jeffries vs. Charles Barron

Possibly the easiest choice for the board this election cycle. Hakeem Jeffries is everything The Times says they want in a candidate: he has a record on Rockefeller reform, prison reform, stop-and-frisk reform, redistricting reform. education reform. Did we mention he went to Georgetown and practiced law for Paul, Weiss? Charles Barron, meanwhile, a former Black Panther with a history of throwing rhetorical bombs, would have been wise to not show up for his endorsement interview.

How Much Will It Matter?

In the more affluent parts of the district, Times penetration is strong, but those votes were going to likely go to Mr. Jeffries anyway. If anything, look for Mr. Barron to use the paper’s endorsement of Mr. Jeffries as further proof that he is the insurgent running against the establishment.

NY07—Nydia Velazquez vs. Erik Dilan

Nydia Velazquez is by no means a perfect pol from The Times standpoint—too slavishly devoted to organized labor and a little wobbly on Israel, but far far better than Erik Dilan, who is closely allied with Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Vito Lopez—a no-no from the paper’s standpoint. Plus, Ms. Velazquez has made fighting poverty a priority, as has The Times, while Mr. Dilan has been right of center in the City Council and has been less than transparent about his campaign finance filings.

How Much Will It Matter?

As these things go, it could matter quite a bit. The newly redesigned NY07 skips through some affluent neighborhoods in brownstone Brooklyn and on the east side of Manhattan where Times readership is pretty high.

NY13: Charlie Rangel vs. Adriano Espaillat vs. Clyde Williams vs. Joyce Johnson

At last, a real choice for the board. In 2010, they endorsed Joyce Johnson, a Seagram’s exec with limited political experience, but they couldn’t then endorse Charlie Rangel, whose use of rent-stabilized apartments for campaign purposes—a story that the Times uncovered—led to the longtime pol’s censure in the House. But Ms. Johnson is by no means a lock this time around, since Mr. Rangel is facing far more credible opponents. Clyde Williams, a former aide in both the Clinton and Obama White Houses, represents a new face of African-American leadership and has run a substantive campaign. Adriano Espaillat is vying to become the first Dominican in Congress, and the paper likes for minority groups to be represented by their own. And don’t discount the possibility that the board decides that the threat of losing an institution like Mr. Rangel is too grave. Mr. Espaillat’s campaign hasn’t been as policy heavy as the paper would like, but expect ethnic considerations to win out over Mr. Williams by a nose, with Mr. Rangel remaining a dark horse contender.

How Much Will It Matter?

The newly reconfigured NY13 lost the Upper West Side—which probably has the highest concentration of Times readers on the planet—and so won’t count for all that much in a new district that covers Harlem and parts of the South Bronx.

NY6: Grace Meng vs. Rory Lancman vs. Elizabeth Crowley

This is a hard one to figure, and oddly, probably depends a lot on what the Times decides to do with the Rangel race. Like Mr. Espaillat, Ms. Meng is a pathbreaking candidate, vying to be the first Asian-American from New York to serve in Congress. And the newly reconfigured district is a majority Asian. Still Rory Lancman has run a specific, policy oriented campaign, and the hard-charging Asssemblyman fits the profile of the kind of pol that The Times likes. And Ms. Meng’s ties to the Queens County Democratic Party—who have fended off accusations of throwing surrogate candidates onto the ballot to weaken Mr. Lancman—will hurt her.  If the paper goes with Mr. Espaillat in a majority Hispanic district, it likely frees the board to go with Mr. Lancman here. If not, Ms. Meng has a better shot. Elizabeth Crowley has struggled on the stump, and isn’t likely to merit serious consideration.

How Much Will It Matter?
Quite a bit in some of the more affluent neighborhoods of Queens  around Forest Hills. Mr. Lancman is counting on those voters coming home to him, so it could be devastating if the paper goes with Ms. Meng.

The scene from yesterday's candidate forum.

"Is the empty seat for the other person who's running?" an audience member asked the moderator before the candidates running against Congressman Charlie Rangel introduced themselves in Washington Heights last evening.

"Since you asked it now, I'm happy to tell you now," the moderator responded. "Hudson Heights has called Congressman Rangel's office repeatedly and we were told a few days ago, and again today, that the congressman would be unable to be here."

Mr. Rangel himself contested this explanation, insisting that he had never been invited, but regardless, the four challengers to Mr. Rangel in this year's Democratic primary discussed federal policy issues without the sitting incumbent they are hoping to unseat.

And, as they were all progressive Democrats, there were very few disagreements that emerged. One of the candidates, Clyde Williams, critiqued State Senator Adriano Espaillat's explanation for rising gas prices, insisting that larger geopolitical concerns were at fault in addition to regulatory issues. Mr. Williams also disputed Mr. Espaillat's argument that the Northern Manhattan Empowerment Zone lacked significant resources to spend in the community.

Another candidate, Craig Schley, had even harsher criticism for Mr. Espaillat, accusing him of voting against rent regulations. Mr. Espaillat contended that he actually voted the complete opposite and his spokesman pointed us to an article about the candidate's strident efforts supporting rent regulations.

The only audience member to engage the candidates in a critical fashion questioned a fourth candidate, Joyce Johnson, over her stated opposition to overregulating the financial industry. The individual accused Ms. Johnson of engaging in "meaningless platitudes" on the issue, to which Ms. Johnson clarified she definitely still supported additional regulations over the status quo.

The most notable disagreement of the night, oddly enough, might have been an intentionally lighthearted question about whether pennies and nickles should be eliminated. Mr. Williams immediately supported the concept while Ms. Johnson and Mr. Espaillat opposed it.

Mr. Schley had the most creative solution to the problem, asking, "Why don't we just make a two-headed coin, right?"

Watch these moments, in addition to the candidates' closing statements below:

Clyde Williams

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."

Last week, Mr. Williams posted a note on Facebook decrying the challenges to his petitions filed by Desiree Harris and Jerry Washington as "associates of Charlie Rangel" attempting "to block my access to the ballot." Ms. Harris and Mr. Washington also filed challenges to petitions obtained by two of the other candidates in the race, Craig Schley and Joyce Johnson.

"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," Mr. Williams wrote.

Ms. Harris lives in the same apartment building as Mr. Rangel, whose campaign declined to comment on the issue last week.

Petition objections require a contact person and both Mr. Washington and Mr. Harris listed a man named Arthur Greig on their challenges. Mr. Greig was the Co-Law Chair of the New York County Democratic Party while Mr. Rangel's longtime ally, Assemblyman Herman "Denny" Farrell was chairman. He also worked a special counsel to the chairman of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee in the late 1998. Mr. Farrell has been chair of that committee since 1994. Mr. Greig also served as counsel to another ally of Mr. Rangel's, David Paterson while Mr. Paterson was minority leader in the State Senate.

Adriano Espaillat and Charlie Rangel. (Photo: Facebook)

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."

Approximately 900 petitions were required to get on the ballot. All five candidates in the race exceeded that amount. According to State Senator Adriano Espaillat's campaign, he is leading the pack with about 10,000 signatures. Mr. Rangel's campaign said he obtained about 8,900 signatures in the Upper Manhattan portion of the district although they claimed not to know how many signatures they obtained in the Bronx. Mr. Williams' campaign said he got "roughly 6,105" signatures. Businesswoman Joyce Johnson acquired just under 4,000 signatures according to her campaign. Craig Schley, a former intern of Mr. Rangel's, said he collected approximately 3,000 signatures.

Mr. Rangel has spent more than four decades in Congress and has the support of the Harlem political machine he helped build so, in some ways, his second place finish is surprising. However, the congressman was out of commission for much of the last two months with what he described as a virus in his spine and he was unable to actively campaign.

Today, two people, Desiree Harris and Jerry Washington, filed objections to challenge signatures obtained by Mr. Williams, Ms. Johnson and Mr. Schley. Neither Ms. Harris nor Mr. Washington are directly affiliated with any of the campaigns, but Ms. Harris lives in the same apartment building as Mr. Rangel, which may have prompted Mr. Williams' accusation the challenges came from Mr. Rangel. Mr. Rangel's spokesman, Bob Liff, declined to comment on this story.

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

Mr. Espaillat is vying to be the first member of Congress of Dominican descent. Without Mr. Vargas, he is the only Latino candidate running in the 13th district, which contains a largely Dominican Latino majority. Mr. Vargas said he chose to drop out because he believes it is more important for the Dominican community to unite and "make history.

"This election is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our community," Mr. Vargas said. "With the stakes so high, I think it's important for the community to unite behind a candidate who can make help us make history, and that candidate is Senator Espaillat. While I've worked hard to get myself in a position to run, I'm ready to give all of my support to the candidate who can succeed in bringing fresh leadership to Congress this year."

Mr. Vargas' departure from the race leaves five candidates standing; Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Rangel, former DNC head Clyde Williams, businesswoman Joyce Johnson and former model Craig Schley.

Adriano Espaillat (Photo: New York State Senate)

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.

Though Mr. Espaillat was able to nearly match Mr. Rangel's fundraising total for the quarter, the congressman should be able to perform far better in the fundraising race now that he's out of the hospital and back on the campaign trail. As an incumbent, Mr. Rangel already had a substantial war chest and his latest contributions leave him with $226,306 on hand. Mr. Espaillat spent about $5,762 on the campaign so far and has just $56,292 on hand.

Mr. Espaillat is thought to be a particularly strong opponent for Mr. Rangel since he's vying to be the first congressman  of Dominican descent in a district with a majority Latino population, but he's not the only challenger running for the seat. Former DNC head Clyde Williams, who is also running in the district, raked in just under $120,000 this quarter and has over $200,000 on hand. There are no reports from a new committee from businesswoman Joyce Johnson, but the report for her committee from her last run for the seat in 2010 shows it raised no money this quarter and has $1048.53 on hand along with $16,236 in debts. Former model Craig Schley and community activist Ruben Dario Vargas are also in the race for Mr. Rangel's district, but there quarterly reports have yet to be made public.

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

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.

Mr. Rangel has represented the area of Upper Manhattan, which was placed into the 13th district as part of the recent redistricting process, for over four decades. He is seen as increasingly vulnerable in this campaign due to the growing Latino majority in his district and his 2010 censure by the House for multiple ethics violations and has attracted four challengers in this race; Mr. Espaillat, former Democratic National, onetime Democratic District Leader Joyce Johnson and Craig Schley, a local activist and former model who previously ran for the seat as an independent.

In his speech to the crowd, Mr. Williams, who has served as an adviser to President Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama, emphasized his experience working in Washington.

"I'm the only person who is running as a challenger to Charlie Rangel who has worked for two presidents," Mr. Williams said.

Mr. Espaillat emphasized his roots in the neighborhood and said, if elected, he wants to focus on three main issues; housing, jobs and immigration.

"I'm an immigrant, I came here with no papers. Imagine that? What a country, I came here with no papers and now I'm a state senator and I'm running for Congress," Mr. Espaillat said. "Great story and a real American story."

Mr. Schley, who's campaign slogan is "Evolve," emphasized the need for new represenatation after Mr. Rangel's more than forty years of representation by Mr. Rangel.

"We've only had one representation since man walked on the moon and we have to change that," he said.

Ms. Dickens addressed sought to dismiss worries about Mr. Rangel's health. The congressman has not been seen publicly in his district or on the House floor since February 9.

"I just wanted to align anyone's fears that he is seeking re-election and he indeed is going to come out, probably after Easter," Ms. Dickens said. "I spoke with him maybe two hours ago and he will be out next week to campaign. A lot of the leaders, a lot of the electeds have heard from him directly, because he's been making phone calls while he was incapacitated with the back."

Mr. Rangel has received the endorsement of other local clubs including the Arturo Schomburg Democratic Club, the Broadway Democrats, El Nuevo El Caribe Democratic Club of East Harlem and the Three Parks Independent Democrats. Mr. Espaillat also does not have the backing of several leaders in the area including Councilman Robert Jackson, State Senator Jose Serrano, District Leader Maria Luna and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Mr. Levine is following his club's lead and backing Mr. Espaillat as is Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez and Assemblyman Nelson Castro.

With Mr. Espaillat running for Congress, Mr. Levine, the Barack Obama Club's founder and District Leader, is seeking to replace him. At the forum last night, Assemblyman Guillermo Linares announced he's also "seriously considering" that seat. Mr. Levine, who invited his challenger to speak at the forum, unsurprisingly won his club's endorsement 38 votes to two with three blank ballots.

Adriano Espaillat (Photo: NYS Senate)

State Senator Adriano Espaillat officially announced his intention to run for the House of Representatives in Upper Manhattan's 13th District at a fundraiser for the Barack Obama Democratic Club yesterday ending months of speculation over whether he would challenge veteran Congressman Charlie Rangel. Sources who attended the event said Mr. Espaillat, who would become the first Congressman of Dominican descent if his bid is successful, quoted from J.F.K.'s inaugural address and said "the torch must be passed down to a new generation of Americans."

Mr. Espaillat has been hinting at a run for Congress since at least January, but he initially signaled he was only interested in running if a predominantly Latino district was created uptown and did not desire a race against Mr. Rangel. Earlier this month, after the redistricting process left Mr. Espaillat with no other option than to run against the veteran congressman, he formed a campaign committee and began circulating petitions.

Mr. Rangel, 81, is a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus who has spent more than four decades in the House of Representatives, but his censure for ethics violations in 2010 and the growing Latino majority in his district have led to speculation he might not run for re-election this time around. The congressman's allies in the State Assembly pushed a plan to protect him from a potential Latino challenger by taking a portion of his longtime base in Upper Manhattan and adding sections of The Bronx and Westchester to create a predominantly African-American district. That plan was not adopted when the final congressional map was approved by a three-judge panel. In addition to these political problems, Mr. Rangel has also been dealing with health woes that have led to two hospitalizations and his longest absence from the House floor in at least ten years. Despite these challenges, Mr. Rangel has remained adamant about his desire to run for re-election remain in his seat.

With the various issues swirling around Mr. Rangel, rumors have abounded he is running in order to pass his seat to his longtime ally, Assembyman Keith Wright, and would step down soon afterward if he is victorious in the race. Mr. Rangel vigorously denied these rumors in a statement last week. According to a source who attended the Barack Obama Democratic Club fundraiser yesterday, Mr. Wright spoke before Mr. Espaillat's announcement and said he hoped the campaign would not lead to a "civil war" between African-Americans and Latinos. Another source said Mr. Rangel's deputy chief of staff Geoffrey Eaton and former Democratic National Committee head Clyde Williams, who is running for the seat as well, were also in attendance. The Barack Obama Democrats are holding a meeting to decide who they will endorse on Wednesday.

Mr. Espaillat is considered a rising star in the State Democratic Party and could pose a formidable challenge to Mr. Rangel. The 13th District is over 50 percent Latino and heavily Dominican. Mr. Espaillat's status as the potential first Dominican congressman should give him great appeal in the district. In addition to Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Rangel and Mr. Williams, former executive and Democratic district leader Joyce Johnson is in the race and Mr. Rangel's ex-staffer Vince Morgan has been eyeing the seat. Like Mr. Rangel, Mr, Williams, Ms. Johnson and Mr. Morgan are African-American and could chip away at some of Mr. Rangel's support with his black base.

Ms. Johnson is making her second attempt at the seat Mr. Rangel has held since 1970. In 2010 she garnered the endorsement of The New York Times  and finished in a respectable third place with 12 percent of the vote, behind Mr. Rangel's 51 percent and 24 percent for Adam Clayton Powell IV.

"I'm running for Congress again in 2012 because I continue to believe what I did then: that a brighter future is possible for all of us when we work together and have strong, efficient leaders in place to support us," Ms. Johnson writes.

"This is a future that every American deserves. But it cannot be accomplished with legislators heavily invested in maintaining the status quo of "politics as usual". The only way forward is with pragmatic yet innovative leaders who are connected to the people they've been hired to serve, and who can envision our community's future as it ought to be -- full of promise and opportunity."

Mr. Rangel's team appears to be nervous about the prospect of another Johnson candidacy; as Azi Paybarah has reported, a top aide to the Congressman has been trying to keep her potential supporters from backing her candidacy. 

Ms. Johnson's main role in the however may be to sap votes away from Mr. Rangel and deliver the seat to Washington Heights Senator Adriano Espaillat. The district which Mr. Rangel has represented for 42 years now stretches into the Bronx, and has a majority of Dominican and Hispanic voters. Anything which divides the African-American vote could lead to an ignominious end to Mr. Rangel's storied career.

The full blog post is below:

In his State of the Union address, President Obama called repeatedly for Congressional leaders to abandon partisan bickering, and focus on investing in strategies and solutions that will steer our nation back on the right course. The president's words have resonated greatly with Americans across party lines, many of whom are now more eager than ever for a system that makes people, not politics, the priority.

A groundswell for this sentiment can be felt across the country, and has been for some time. Perhaps nowhere is it more palpable than in New York's 13th Congressional District, where this year's race to unseat the current 41-year incumbent is in a mad dash towards the June 26th primaries. It has certainly permeated throughout the streets and neighborhoods where I've lived and been an active community member for more than 35 years.

I was first inspired to run for Congress in 2010 because I could see the ways in which our communities were being left behind: Scarce employment opportunities. Troubled school systems with alarming achievement gaps. Lackluster leadership focused on catering to the self-interests of a small constituency. All of these were signs pointing to the urgent need for change. I knew then that it was within my power, and that of the people, to put our district back on track.

At the time people would come up to me and say, "Joyce, it's time for something different." Clearly what they meant was that, after years of political theater, the momentum had risen for pushing the district in a fresh, new leadership direction. It was a clarion call echoed by many that made its way to the ballot box. Despite being outspent and outnumbered, my campaign collected 10,000 signatures to qualify me for the ballot. I garnered enough votes in parts of the district to outpace a fellow candidate who was a NY State Assembly Representative with a legendary political lineage. And I received more than six times the number of votes my other opponents did.

Still the reality was that even then, just two years after Obama's historic grassroots-driven victory, more resources would be needed to unseat someone who, for nearly half a century, has been buoyed by a well-funded, well-connected political machine. A machine that was not inclined to open the clubhouse doors to anyone deemed a political "outsider." In many ways it still isn't.

In spite of those odds, I effectively demonstrated my readiness and qualifications to serve the people of New York.; the New York Times and Women's Campaign Forum made clear they agreed when they endorsed my candidacy. After nearly 20 years in private sector leadership working to expand equal employment opportunities for women and people of color, I became Director of Community Relations for the NYC Comptroller's Office where I worked with more than 400 diverse communities across the city. In 2008 I was appointed Field Director by Obama for America, for which I drove state-wide voter mobilization efforts that helped put our president in the White House. Each experience heightened my sensitivity to the needs and concerns facing everyday New Yorkers, and helped to instill in me a greater clarity of mission and purpose.

I'm running for Congress again in 2012 because I continue to believe what I did then: that a brighter future is possible for all of us when we work together and have strong, efficient leaders in place to support us. We need leaders that understand the value of creating jobs that offer equal pay for equal work; of investing in our youth by building better schools, hiring quality teachers, and fostering cleaner, safer environments for them to learn and play; and of bridging the social and economic divide that continues to burden hardworking individuals and families across America, and in my own neighborhood.

This is a future that every American deserves. But it cannot be accomplished with legislators heavily invested in maintaining the status quo of "politics as usual". The only way forward is with pragmatic yet innovative leaders who are connected to the people they've been hired to serve, and who can envision our community's future as it ought to be -- full of promise and opportunity. That is the future I see and will fight hard to achieve as Congresswoman of New York's 13th District.