Robert Jackson

Over the weekend, Thomas Lopez-Pierre, an uptown activist who has been running a Council campaign characterized by a series of angry, racially charged emails sent another missive endorsing Robert Jackson, the man he's trying to replace. Mr. Jackson is prevented by term limits from running for re-election to his council seat and is instead pursuing the Manhattan borough presidency. However, Mr. Jackson is clearly not eager to have Mr. Lopez-Pierre's endorsement.

“We totally reject Thomas Lopez-Pierre. Throughout his life, Robert Jackson has been a leader fighting for justice and understanding and against bigotry and intolerance," Richard Fife, Mr. Jackson's spokesman, said in a statement. "He has condemned the racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic rants of Lopez-Pierre in the strongest way possible."

Mr. Lopez-Pierre's earlier emails have targeted Mark Levine, one of his rivals in the race to replace Mr. Jackson, as a "a White/Jewish candidate" who, if elected, would potentially damage "the political empowerment of the Black and Hispanic community" in the Upper Manhattan council district. He has also blasted Brian Benjamin, an uptown realtor, as an "Uncle Tom" who "sold out the Black people of Harlem" by supporting Mr. Levine. Mr. Lopez-Pierre's latest message came after Mr. Jackson responded to his initial missives by joining with other area politicians by signing onto a "Say No To Hate" petition condemning "the use of discriminatory language and rhetoric in all 2013 New York City political races" and issuing a joint statement "condemning the hateful language used by Thomas Lopez-Pierre" that referred to his emails as "despicable" and "shameful."

In spite of Mr. Jackson's harsh criticism of him, Mr. Lopez-Pierre said he is eager to support Mr. Jackson's bid for the Manhattan borough presidency in his latest email.

"I plan to vote for you and encourage my Black and Hispanic supporters to vote for you (and encourage my contributors to give to your campaign, please advise me on who I should speak with about contributing to your campaign) as the next Manhattan Borough President," Mr. Lopez-Pierre wrote. "Yes, you can consider this email an official endorsement from Thomas Lopez-Pierre for your campaign for Manhattan Borough President."

Mr. Lopez-Pierre's endorsement email also addressed Mr. Jackson's joint statement against him. While he said he agreed in principle with the statement's sentiment that the Upper Manhattan council district draws "strength" from being "one of the most diverse in the city," Mr. Lopez-Pierre said Mr. Jackson's statement did not recognize that, in practice, "White/Jewish" and "Asian residents" pose a threat to black and Latino members of the community.

"For Black and Hispanic tenants in the 7^th Council District, the so called diversity you speak of in your 'Joint Statement' means that Black and Hispanic tenants get pushed out of their apartments to make way for White/Jewish people and other high income people," Mr. Lopez-Pierre wrote. "What you failed to mention in your 'Joint Statement' was that the White/Jewish people moving to Upper Manhattan are NOT moving here to live in social-economic peace, in brotherhood with low income Black and Hispanic people–but they are here to push out low income Black and Hispanic people out of their own community."

Along with his critique of the joint statement and his endorsement of Mr. Jackson, Mr. Lopez-Pierre's latest email contained more harsh words for Mr. Levine and Mr. Benjamin. The joint statement and petition were among many negative reactions to Mr. Lopez-Pierre's first messages about Mr. Levine and Mr. Benjamin, but Mr. Lopez-Pierre claimed the situation had help him raise money for his council campaign [sic throughout].

"My public comments about Brain Benjamin has been very good for fundraising–you be surprised by how many people know Brain Benjamin and do NOT like him (for the rest this campaign, I plan to use Brain Benjamin as my very own campaign ATM machine - and Mark Levine, I am saving the best for Mark Levine)," wrote Mr. Lopez-Pierre. "To be fair to Brain Benjamin more people dislike Thomas Lopez-Pierre than they dislike Brain Benjamin – but give me time, I am sure that I can close the gap to within 40 points by Primary Day. If I may add, Brain Benjamin dates some of the best looking women in NYC – and he does NOT discriminate base on race: Black, White, Asian and Hispanic, he has sex with them all! For a short little man, he does have great taste in women–please make it a point to check out anyone of the many hot women he has on his arm and that share his bed–they all have two things in common – they are hot looking and they tower over him like the Harlem State Office Building on 125^th Street and 7^th Avenue."

According to the latest data from the New York City Campaign Finance Board, Mr. Lopez-Pierre has raised $8,239 for his council bid in the past six months.

Thomas Lopez-Pierre (Photo: ThomasLopezPierre.com)

Thomas Lopez-Pierre, a candidate for an Uptown City Council seat who has been making a series of racially-charged arguments against one of his rivals in the race, Mark Levine, has taken things to a whole other level. In an email filled with racial slurs, expletives and violent rhetoric, Mr. Lopez-Pierre blasted Brian Benjamin, a real estate developer, for deciding "to pick Mark Levine the only White/Jewish guy in the race to raise money for."

Mr. Lopez-Pierre went on to call Mr. Benjamin an "Uncle Tom" who by joining Mr. Levine's campaign, "sold out the Black people of Harlem."

The email was addressed to Mr. Benjamin and over 30 Uptown political figures, including Mr. Levine. Politicker has confirmed the email was sent from Mr. Lopez-Pierre's address.

We've reproduced Mr. Lopez-Pierre's email to Mr. Benjamin in full below, but be warned, it is decidedly not safe for work.

"January 3, 2013

Brain [sic] Benjamin:

First I would like to say Happy New Year!

Now that bullshit is out of the way, I wanted to say this to your face but I did not want my words to be misunderstood.

So I am sending it to you in writing and sharing it with others.

I see that you are on the host committee for Mark Levine for City Council.

I would hope that one day you would give me the legal grounds to bitch slap you.

You are an uncle Tom Nigger bitch.

Its Nigger bitches like you that have sold out the Black people of Harlem.

To think there are about eight other candidates in this race that are Black and Hispanic and you decided to pick Mark Levine the only White/Jewish guy in the race to raise money for.

What good does it do our community (by this I mean Black and Hispanic people) to have uncle Tom Nigger bitches like you graduate from Ivy League schools if all you do is suck the cock of guys like Mark Levine.

All the best,

Thomas Lopez-Pierre

PS, The reason why you got your Nigger ass kicked (politically) by Jamaal Nelson when you ran for district leader is because Black people in Harlem can smell the Bitch in you.

They know that you are a weak, little short man who sucks White/Jewish cock."

Additional Reporting by Hunter Walker

Thomas Lopez-Pierre (Photo: ThomasLopezPierre.com)

Thomas Lopez-Pierre, a Harlem activist with a controversial past who is running for term-limited Councilman Robert Jackson's seat, circulated an email late last night in an attempt to plan a "private meeting" to "discuss the potential damage to the political empowerment of the Black and Hispanic community if Mark Levine, a White/Jewish candidate was elected to the 7th Council District in 2013." This morning, Mr. Lopez-Pierre told Politicker he isn't organizing the meeting himself and is working on behalf of a larger group who became concerned when they read a report on the political blog The Perez Notes that the Upper Manhattan political machine headed by State Senator Adriano Espaillat and Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez has been working to "clear" the crowded field of candidates running for the seat to help Mr. Levine win.

"Now that he actually has a chance to win it's scaring people," said Mr. Lopez-Pierre. "So, what started first as a discussion of the blog post has now mushroomed among candidates and community leaders into basically a 'Stop Levine' campaign."

The race to replace Mr. Jackson in the 7th District is shaping up to be one of next year's most hotly-contested Council campaigns. In addition to Mr. Levine, who is a local district leader and founder of the Barack Obama Democratic Club, and Mr. Lopez-Pierre, there have been at least eight other candidates eyeing the seat. These hopefuls include local power broker and district leader Maria Luna, Socrates Solano, an aide to Congressman Charlie Rangel, Cheryl Pahaham, the outgoing vice chair of Community Board 12, and another district leader, Marisol Alcantara.

Mr. Lopez-Pierre registered to run for the seat last month. He is also running to be a district leader in the 69th Assembly District, which includes parts of the Upper West Side and Harlem. In June, Mr. Lopez-Pierre launched a political club in the district called the Douglass Grant Democratic Club. Earlier this year, Mr. Lopez-Pierre, who operates several real estate businesses in Harlem, also formed a political action committee dedicated to backing candidates who would support more charter schools in the area.

In his email announcing the meeting about Mr. Levine, Mr. Lopez-Pierre identifies himself as the chair of the Douglass Grant club and said he has spoken to "a number of Black and Hispanic candidates and Black and Hispanic community leaders" who share concerns that Mr. Levine could win without the support of the area's predominantly African-American and Latino voters because there are so many candidates running for the seat.

"The purpose of the private meeting would be to rally support behind one Black candidate and one Hispanic candidate in order to provide Black and Hispanic voters with a less confusing selection of candidates to consider," Mr. Lopez-Pierre wrote. "A number of community leaders have expressed the dire concern that with so many Black and Hispanic candidates planning to run for the 7th Council District that Mark Levine would sneak into office (like a thief in the night)."

According to his website, Mr. Lopez-Pierre is "of Puerto Rican, Dominican and Haitian descent." Despite his strongly racial rhetoric, Mr. Lopez-Pierre said he thinks Mr. Levine could be "an excellent candidate" for a number of other offices. However, he doesn't want to see a white candidate take a Council seat in a community that is predominantly made up of minorities and was previously occupied by an African-American.

"It's about progress....How can the Latino community explode in population and then we get a non-Person of Color as a Council person?" Mr. Lopez-Pierre asked. "The Black and Puerto Rican Caucus at the City Council will be negative one if something isn't done next year."

Under the current redistricting proposal for next year, the 7th Council District would be 47 percent Hispanic and 20 percent African-American. Despite the area's demographics, Mr. Lopez-Pierre said he believes the number of likely voters in the community is largely caucasian. Because of this, he said he is concerned Mr. Levine could dominate a crowded field "while blacks and Latinos are fighting among themselves." Mr. Levine, who speaks fluent Spanish, has in the past garnered considerable support in the community. In 2010, he unsuccessfully ran against Mr. Espaillat in the State Senate race to replace Eric Schneiderman and received about 39 percent of the vote.

"The reality is that white people, even if they're in black neighborhoods, do not share the same values in terms of what is important to low income black and Latino families," Mr. Lopez-Pierre said. "He cannot come and pimp--and I hope you quote me on this--he cannot come and pimp the black and Latino community to be his foundation for his political empowerment."

Mr. Lopez-Pierre's email about Mr. Levine isn't his first foray into heated email identity politics. In July, he sent another email criticizing "dumb" African-American politicians for allowing Dominican "control" of Harlem. That message wasn't the first time Mr. Lopez-Pierre stirred up controversy. Last year, he was arrested for stalking, though the case was later dismissed by a judge and the Harlem Club, a private singles club he founded in 2004 provoked the outrage of many in the community who saw it as sexist and trashy.

Mr. Lopez-Pierre told Politicker his arrest was caused by a "business partner" who "cheated" him. He said the case was "laughed" out of court by the judge. Comparing himself to the rapper and entrepreneur Jay Z, Mr. Lopez-Pierre said he believes people will not hold his controversial past against him as he increases his involvement in local politics.

"I serve an awesome god. I live in a great nation. I live in a nation where a former drug dealer can host a fundraiser for the President of the United States," Mr. Lopez-Pierre said. "Our community has embraced him and my community has embraced me over this stupid Harlem Club....This is not the stuff that black and Latino people in the hood care about. They care about education, public housing, healthcare. They care about the issues."

Mr. Lopez-Pierre declined to reveal the names of any of the other local political leaders he claims share his "concern" about Mr. Levine's candidacy because he said his conversations with them occurred "in confidence." Though he is currently standing alone in his effort, race has been an undercurrent in other recent campaigns in Upper Manhattan and Mr. Lopez-Pierre's email is an early indication one of the City's most crowded campaigns of 2013 may be even more racially charged. Mr. Lopez-Pierre said he hasn't set a date for the meeting because he wants the field for the race to be fully formed before he begins his push to whittle the hopefuls down to a single African-American and Latino candidate. When the meeting does occur, Mr. Lopez-Pierre believes he is one of the contenders who should merit consideration.

"I am one of the serious candidates," he said. "I have a history of being able to raise money from what I call bourgeois negroes, like middle class."

Update: (4:18 p.m.) We reached out to Mr. Levine who responded by talking more broadly about the nature of the district.

"The 7th Council District is incredibly diverse, one of the most diverse in the city actually, which is a wonderful thing. Whoever is going to represent the 7th in the Council has to be someone who brings people together, it can't be someone who divides us," he told Politicker this evening. "What I've done my entire life, whether it was in the nonprofit arena or progressive activism on the campaign trail, has been about bringing people together."

Additional reporting by Colin Campbell.

Charlie Rangel giving his passionate speech earlier today.

Last week, State Senator Adriano Espaillat's campaign circulated a tough mailer against his primary opponent, Assemblyman Guillermo Linares, in which they accused Mr. Linares of "betraying" the community by backing Rep. Charlie Rangel over Mr. Espaillat's bid to become the country's first Dominican-American congressman earlier this year and for taking campaign contributions from special interests.

Mr. Rangel, a backer of Mr. Linares' bid, is angry about the mailer. Really angry. So angry, he says, that he was motivated, in the spirit of the anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, to condemn the controversial campaign literature in question. To that end, Mr. Rangel held a press conference where he gave a ten minute speech expressing his outrage.

Waving a copy of the mailer and standing before a crowd holding up flags from various countries, Mr. Rangel was uncharacteristically fiery but characteristically loquacious.

Mr. Rangel's remarks were clearly far too epic to edit. As such, we present a full transcript below.

"This is not a very good day for me. Most of you know the country is sharing the pain that we all felt on 9/11. I was so pleased to hear that Senator Espaillat has suspended his campaign today in memory of the lives that were lost and the attack that was made against our great city and against our great country and indeed the civilized world. And that's what makes this so-called 'press conference' so painful, because of what this country means to all of us. The liberty that we enjoyed, people all over the world can't even dream about the concept, and one of the things that makes us different from most people is that when the flag goes up, when we're talking about coming together with the unity that we had with 9/11, all of my political life, especially the days that I spent in the Congress, it has been with the concept of tranquility that people who have differences worked those differences out.

"For people to take a look at one's religion and their color and their language and their background, and to say that that should make a difference -- let's face it, I'm honest, I'm no new kid on the block. Everyone should want to see someone who looks like them and have their culture achieve the highest stations that we have in this country. Don't let me lie to you and tell you I don't feel a sense of pride with President Obama. As many differences as I may have with this president, I do feel a sense of pride for me, and my children, and my grandchildren! So the whole concept that one shouldn't take this into consideration, you leave that to those people that want to give a sermon on the mound.

"But I want to be realistic with you. But in this great country, to call a patriot a 'traitor'? To call someone who ventured to this country in order to make not only his life better, but to make America better? Who plays by the rules? Who comes here to improve the quality of education and he himself says he needed a little education? Who worked hard? Who gained political respect, not just by the public officials and the mayor, but by the people outside of his community? Doctor Linares' biggest asset was bringing people together no matter what their background was! To call this man a 'traitor' disappoints me beyond belief.

"Now, let me make it clear, when I drafted this press release, it had a whole lot of anger in it. When I finished it, it was a whole lot of reaching out. I could not believe that the senator was aware that this filth was being circulated. So I changed everything and said, 'Let him join with us today to reject whoever thought that they could put a wedge between our communities based on one's background.'

"But last night, I got a chance to watch a rerun of New York 1. And the question was asked, 'Is it true that you sent out this piece of literature condemning this man as a traitor because he supported me?' And I expected to hear a whole lot of political mumbling and rejection and 'someone did this but I don't know who.' But instead of doing that, instead of rebutting the fact that this came out of his political club, instead of rejecting  having his fingerprints on it and sending it out, he starting talking about public officials who had endorsed him. He started talking about Bill de Blasio and going to the Justice Department and Billy Thompson for endorsing him. Let me tell you something senator, you can mention all of the names you want, whether it's Cuomo, de Blasio or Thompson, I know them well enough to know they reject this and they reject the idea of this type of filth going out there. 

"We should never reach the point in this great country that political decisions are going to make you condemned as a traitor. Where you and your family and your community where you're raising your kids and your grand kids, and the label's going to be on you that you're a traitor. Traitor has a painful, painful label. This is not calling you a 'disappointment,' this is not saying, 'I disagree with you.' If you're a patriot, this means something to you. This is a stigma that no person has a right, just because they come from the same country before they reach this great country, when you get to this great country it means you put this filth behind you if you had it when you got here.

"And so I want these cameras to take a look at America. It stands behind me. It doesn't say Catholic, Protestant, Jew or Gentile. It doesn't say Latino, non-Latino. And the day will come that we don't want to have a Catholic called a traitor because they voted for a Protestant over a Catholic. Or a Jew is called a traitor because they voted for a Gentile over a Jewish member.  Or a black is called a traitor because they endorsed a non-black for a job.

"Pride is one thing, attacking someone in this manner is something else. And so it's not too late to say we make mistakes. We all make mistakes. This was more than a mistake. This was more than a mistake. It allows people to believe that you can go to a Jewish person and say, 'Yes I know our candidate's a bum, but you should vote for him anyway because he's Jewish.' Can you imagine? Or a Catholic could say it. Or a Muslim could say it! Or a Mormon could say it! 

"God forbid all of this pain and poison is not out of our country, but we're trying like hell to get rid of it. We're trying like hell to get rid of it. And so I don't think there's much more for me to say. I think this crowd, this multi-color, multicultural crowd speaks for itself, speaks for our country, speaks for our beloved congressional district here and the Bronx, it speaks for our country, it speaks for those who died for our country, and I don't see how the hell I can add anything to it."

Mr. Rangel declined to take much in the way of additional questions after delivering his lengthy statement.

Adriano Espaillat

A tipster sent The Politicker this photo of a campaign billboard for state senator and congressional hopeful Adriano Espaillat that features his face looming large over the University Heights Bridge on West 207th in Inwood.

We also obtained a bilingual mailer volunteers for Mr. Espaillat have been distributing in Washington Heights. Interestingly, Mr. Espaillat's mailers portray his candidacy as a battle against "Tea Party Republicans," the same strategy employed by  his main opponent in the 13th district race, incumbent Congressman Charlie Rangel.

"Adriano Espaillat, bringing back the energy we need to fight Tea Party Republicans!" the mailer says. 

Last month, Mr. Rangel sent out mailers of his own claiming "right-wing Tea Partiers from Texas" are trying to have him removed after over four decades in office. Mr. Rangel's claim was based on the Campaign for Primary Accountability, a Houston-based PAC that targets incumbents and is supporting Mr. Espaillat. The CPA has supported both Democrats and Republicans who are running against longtime incumbents. Though the PAC’s activities have been bipartisan, it has several prominent conservative donors.

Mr. Espaillat's mailer also characterizes him as an advocate for affordable housing, healthcare and the New York DREAM Act. It also vows he will "take on the Big Banks" and, somewhat grandiosely, promises he will "end the war in Afghanistan."

Guillermo Linares (photo: assembly.state.ny.us)

Assemblyman Guillermo Linares will endorse longtime Congressman Charlie Rangel's re-election bid tomorrow at noon. Mr. Rangel's campaign announced the endorsement this evening via an email. Mr. Linares initially pledged to support one of Mr. Rangel's challengers, State Senator Adriano Espaillat, however, last month, he appeared at an event with Mr. Rangel stoking speculation he might be preparing to switch sides. 

The Rangel campaign described Mr. Linares' backing as a "key endorsement." Prior to his press conference officially announcing the endorsement, Mr. Linares will be appearing at another event with Mr. Rangel and The Coalition of Interfaith Clergy Leaders, a group dedicated to strengthening coalitions in the newly created 13th congressional district, which was made in this year's redistricting process.

Mr. Linares became the first  American elected official from the Dominican Republic when he was elected to the City Council in 1991. Mr. Espaillat is vying to be the first congressman of Dominican descent, which makes him a particularly potent threat to Mr. Rangel since the new district has a large Dominican population and a Hispanic majority.

Mr. Linares announced a run for Mr. Espaillat's State Senate seat earlier this month. At the time, he made it clear he's willing to run against Mr. Espaillat if the state senator loses his congressional bid. Mr. Espaillat told The Politicker he hoped Mr. Linares' decision was a vote of confidence in his congressional campaign.

"I hope he made that decision because he’s very convinced that I’m going to win this race,” said Mr. Espaillat.

Though Mr. Espaillat and Mr. Linares are longtime rivals and, potentially, future opponents, insiders speculate Mr. Linares' support for Mr. Rangel may hurt him in the long run. Though the race between Mr. Rangel and Mr. Espaillat is expected to be a close one because of Mr. Rangel's base in Harlem, Mr. Espaillat has heavy support in his state senate district, which includes the largely Dominican neighborhoods of Washington Heights and Inwood. One uptown political operative told us they believe Mr. Linares' support for Mr. Rangel was "career suicide" and would torpedo his state senate bid.

"This is the dumbest move I've ever seen in politics," the operative said. "The only person this helps is the candidate running against Linares in the next election."

Danilo Medina declaring himself victorious in the Dominican presidential election Sunday. (Photo: Getty)

Recently, a Democratic club in Washington Heights held a meeting to endorse candidates in the local Congressional race. Afterwards, a group of reporters and some campaign staffers went out for beers at a nearby diner, Tu Sabor Latino. Once inside, they ran into a table full of volunteers working on the other major political campaign in the neighborhood—the race for a president of the Dominican Republic, between Danilo Medina and Hipólito Mejía, better known as Papá to his supporters.

Outside the diner, sirens flashed as the police escorted a motorcade carrying one of the Dominican presidential candidates up Broadway. It was a physical manifestation of a phenomenon that has long been familiar to Uptown politicos, in the upper reaches of Manhattan, local politicians can’t avoid bumping into the Dominican campaigns. (There is even a seat in the Dominican congress for a representative
from the U.S., such is the size of the ex-pat community.).

Every four years, the Dominican elections play out on the streets of Washington Heights and Inwood—with colorful signs, flags, trucks with speakers blasting Spanish songs and campaign slogans and personal appearances by the candidates. According to a 2005 study by CUNY’s Center for Latin American, Caribbean & Latino Studies, Dominicans make up over 53 percent of the population in the area, and many of the residents are dual citizens who also vote in their home country.

It turns out, this unique political landscape is riddled with potential landmines for local politicians.

“As much as politicians are constantly trying to avoid slips of the tongue on all issues, Dominican politicians are at pains to not present themselves as in favor of one party or the other when it comes to the Dominican national elections,” a staffer who has worked with several elected officials in Washington Heights and Inwood told us.

The local politicians cope with the split Dominican electorate by strenuously avoiding any declaration of allegiances. One aide for an area official refused to comment for this story telling us they didn’t want “to touch” the issue. State Senator Adriano Espaillat, who represents Washington Heights, Inwood, Riverdale and Marble Hill, used rather graphic terms when he declined to weigh in on the race to the Riverdale Times earlier this month.

“For that, you’ve gotta wear a bulletproof vest,” Mr. Espaillat told that paper. “I’m not getting involved in that.”

In an effort to keep up the appearance of impartiality, both Mr. Espaillat and the local councilman, Ydanis Rodriguez, have appeared at events for both Mr. Mejia and Mr. Medina.

As one staffer explained it, “I think it’s less a relationship of trying to pull them in for endorsements, it’s more of a symbiotic thing in terms of fundraising. I remember people throwing around figures for when Papá was in town....They were saying he was going to bring in like $1 million for his one visit to New York, for like a long weekend.”

At first, it appeared the local elected officials could relax, with the passing of the election Sunday. Mr. Medina, of the Partido de la Liberación Dominicana, appeared to emerge victorious with 51.21 percent of the vote compared to 46.96 percent for his rival, former president Mr. Mejía of the Partido Revolucionario Dominican. But Mr.Mejía initially refused to make a concession speech, and has disputed the results as "the result of manipulation and abuse of power." So, for now, the U.S. politicians will still have to keep watching what they say, with the slim margin of victory showing just how divided the Dominican electorate is.

“If you support the wrong Dominican candidate, you’re done,” as the staffer put it.

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

Ruben Dario Vargas, a self-described "Northern Manhattan community activist" who has run multiple unsuccessful campaigns for public office, is throwing his hat into the crowded campaign for the 13th congressional district, where Charlie Rangel is running for re-election. Based on his past performance running for the seat, Mr. Vargas is unlikely to be a major threat in the race, but his entry will strip State Senator Adriano Espaillat of his status as the only Latino candidate in a district with a majority Latino population. 

In addition to Mr. Rangel and Mr. Espaillat, former DNC head Clyde Williams, businesswoman Joyce Johnson and former model Craig Schley are running for the Democratic nomination in the 13th district. Mr. Vargas plans to officially announce his campaign tomorrow at noon at Caridad Restaurant on Broadway and 145th Street. He unsuccessfully challenged Mr. Rangel for his seat in 2010 and has also run for Manhattan Borough President and the Council seat currently occupied by Ydanis Rodriguez. According to a profile from his 2009 Council run, Mr. Vargas is an Air Force veteran who has worked with the NYPD as an evidence and property specialist and  has been involved with the International Chess Federation.

Mr. Vargas' press release about his announcement said he has received 1,600 signatures so far to get his name on the ballot for the upcoming Democratic primary. It also said he "secured 18% of the vote" the last time he ran against Mr. Rangel. Mr. Vargas actually received about five percent of the vote in the 2010 Democratic Primary.  Mr. Rangel won that race with 51 percent of the vote.

Mark Otto (Photo: Facebook)

Add another name to the list of those contemplating competing for term-limited Councilman Robert Jackson's seat. Mark Otto, an assistant principal at a public high school, already has registered a campaign committee and created a campaign website.

Understandably, Mr. Otto's campaign pitch relies heavily on his background as a teacher. According to his website, Mr. Otto "is a kind, passionate, dedicated and reflective leader that has a clear vision for successful schooling in New York City."

"He understands that each student has a story, which adds to the rich fabric of the school community," it continues. "Mark has developed strong, lasting relationships with the students and families he serves and because of that, he has a deep understanding of the various issues that affect the lives of our citizens in New York City."

Other possible candidates in the race include District Leaders Maria Luna, Marisol Alcantara, and Mark Levine, as well as Socrates Solano, an aide to Congressman Charlie Rangel, Cheryl Pahaham, the outgoing vice chair of Community Board 12, former District Leader April Tyler and community activist Julius Tajiddin.

Despite the crowded field, the election is quite a ways off. Voters won't head to the polls until 2013.

Robert Jackson (Photo: Facebook)

Councilman Robert Jackson is planning to run for borough president in 2013, and already a host of candidates are lining up to take his place for the Upper Manhattan council seat.

Among them are longtime Washington Heights politico Maria Luna, who last ran for this same seat in 1992, a current and a former district leader who squared off in a pitched electoral battle last year, an aide to neighborhood institution Charlie Rangel, two former challengers to Mr. Jackson, a community board vice chair and a 24-year-old City Council staffer from across town.

Legislative lines for the District, which currently includes Morningside Heights, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Central Harlem, Washington Heights and Inwood, could shift before the race next year. In the meantime,  many of the aspiring heirs to Mr. Jackson's seat are watching each other and other local politicians before deciding what move to make.

Mr. Jackson originally entered the City Council in 2002. Mark Levine, a Democratic District Leader and founder of the Barack Obama Democratic Club, who was the runner-up to Mr. Jackson during his first race told The Politicker he's "definitely" going to try for the seat again--unless there's an opening in the State Senate.

In 2010, Mr. Levine ran against former Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat in the race to replace Eric Schneiderman in the State Senate after Mr. Schneiderman became State Attorney General. Mr. Espaillat is planning to run for a seat in the House of Representatives if a majority Latino Congressional district is created in the area. If Mr. Espaillat does indeed abandon his Senate seat for a Congressional campaign, Mr. Levine said he'll bid for that rather than a spot in the Council.

"I feel like I would be in a good position. I have to wait to see how the final maps come out before committing, but that's the only thing that would pre-empt a Council run," Mr. Levine said.

Mr. Levine has worked closely with the Working Families Party and hopes to receive their endorsement in the race.

Sources familiar with the Northern Manhattan political scene say April Tyler is also considering a run for the seat. Ms. Tyler was a Democratic District leader from 1993 until last fall, when she was unseated in a dramatic electoral upset by a relative outsider, Marisol Alcantara. As of this writing, Ms. Tyler did not respond to a request for comment on this story.

Ms. Alcantara also might enter the race, though she said she's waiting to see how the lines are drawn.

"I'm not thinking about it right now, you know, I just got elected as a District Leader six months ago and I just got a job with the National Action Network," Ms. Alcantara said. "I'm just waiting to see what the deal is going to look like and I'm going to fundraise for my next District Leader race."

Ms. Luna, who has been described as a "political legend in Washington Heights," has been involved in uptown politics for nearly three decades. She became a District Leader in 1983 and unsuccessfully ran for the district seven Council seat in 1991 is also considering  a bid to succeed Mr. Jackson.

"I am considering, but seriously considering. I tried before in 1992, I didn't make it," Ms. Luna said. "The reason why I'm seriously considering it is because this is an open seat now, I think that there is an opportunity now, things are really a little more open for women. The second thing is that I think that I have the know-how, and the experience and the time served in our community."

Ms. Luna said she's being careful about making a final decision because it's a choice she wants to make "at the right time for me."

"The reason why I haven't openly announced is because of all the factors that come around when you announce this; a whole set of things that you need to do, like the fundraising and the process. It's not complicated, but it makes people a little more cautious," Ms. Luna said. "We'll see what happens, it's going to be interesting. It's a personal decision, I've been thinking about this for a long time."

Mr. Solano, who worked for then-Senator Hillary Clinton, former Council Speaker Peter Vallone Sr. and former Speaker Gifford Miller prior to joining Mr. Rangel's district office, said he'll work for Ms. Luna's campaign if she decides to run. Otherwise, he'll be running for Mr. Jackson's seat himself. Mr. Solano thinks a lot of the other potential candidates are waiting to see what Ms. Luna decides to do.

"Maria Luna, she's considering running as well, and although she's saying that she might, she hasn't decided yet," Mr. Solano said. "So, if she gets in a lot of people are going to get out and work her campaign. I'm going to go work her campaign. So, we're just waiting."

One person who's definitely going to run for Mr. Jackson's old seat is Cheryl Pahaham, the departing vice chair of Community Board 12. Ms. Pahaham said she's attracted to the race because it's an open seat in a diverse and progressive district.

"It's an open seat, it's an interesting district, because it's not necessarily the kind of district is predetermined by the majority ethnic group," Ms. Pahaham said. "Another thing I really like about the district is that people are very progressive. There are people who love activism and they really want their political leaders to be active on their behalf."

Uptown insiders also say Julius Tajiddin, a community activist who previously ran for the District 7 Council seat in 2009, is considering trying again next year. As of this writing, Mr. Tajiddin has not responded to a request for comment on this story.

A final potential candidate for Mr. Jackson's old seat is Rakim Brooks, a 24-year-old aide to Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito, who has said he's considering starting a Council campaign. Mr. Brooks declined to specify which district he plans to run in beyond saying he won't challenge his current boss, who represents the district adjacent to Mr. Jackson's. Since there aren't any other open seats in the area, speculation is Mr. Brooks is planning to enter the District 7 race.