RANGEL WINS PRIMARY
Charlie still in charge; Meng, Long Jeffries net big wins
THE THEL LION of Harlem can still roar.
With Wit his political life on the line, scandaltainted tainte Rep. Charles Rangel delivered a resounding sound primary victory to remain the dean of New New York’s congressional delegation.
“I’m just glad my community had the confidence in me,” the 82-year-old congressman said in his gravelly voice after his victory over state Sen. Adriano A Espaillat was called. He was up 45% to 39% with about 85% of precincts reporting, according ac to The Associated Press.
The Harlem powerbroker has held a seat in the House H of Representatives for 42 years, but some in the political world were writing off his chances for a 22nd term because of the threepronged prong challenge he faced — energetic opponents in Tuesday’s Democratic primary; a redrawn district now more Latino than AfricanAmerican; Ameri and the humiliation of a House censure for fo ethical lapses.
Before early returns rolled in that showed him with w a comfortable lead, Rangel’s supporters filled fill the famed Sylvia’s Also Restaurant in Harlem, Harle where feelings of nervousness and confidence mingled freely.
Rangel, Ran who had arrived to his election night party with w City Controller John Liu, had earlier in the day made light of what he would do if he didn’t come out on top. “If I lose tonight, I will sleep just j like a baby — and cry myself to sleep,” he quipped, for once failing to show his famous confidence. confid
But when his triumph was complete, and he was asked as if he ever had any doubts, Rangel unleashed a wide grin and shook his head, saying his constituents have always had his back.
“When some of the most severe charges have been made against me in the past, it was my community that came out,” he said.
Though support did not come from President Obama — who once even suggested Rangel should end “his career with dignity” — the Korean War veteran received the blessings of heavyhitters like Gov. Cuomo, Mayor Bloomberg and Ed Koch. City teachers union head Michael Mulgrew was even at Rangel’s victory bash.
The primary was Rangel’s first election since his host of ethical missteps led to the House censure vote, including failing to pay taxes on a vacation villa. He was ultimately stripped of his chairmanship of the powerful Ways and Means Committee.
His censure — which he said during the campaign was for infractions that amounted to “spitting on the sidewalk” — and the debate surrounding his health opened the door for Espaillat, who sounded confident of victory in the showdown near the Apollo when he cast his ballot in the morning.
And fellow challenger Clyde Williams, a former aide to Bill Clinton, also ran a surprisingly well-financed campaign, making a late charge to rally voters.
Rangel, however, dismissed his opponents. “I really never understood the qualifications of my opponents,” he said, noting Espaillat announced his run after he developed a back infection.
The primary fight of Rangel’s political life was the main event in a day marked by disappointing turnout. With an earlier-than-normal slate of congressional primaries, courtesy of court action, some polling locations only had a dozen or so people show up to vote by mid-afternoon — and one estimate pegged overall turn-
out as low as 5%.
The undercard races to the Rangel-Espaillat fight featured much drama and intrigue.
State Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries routed firebrand City Councilman Charles Barron for retiring Rep. Edolphus Towns’ Brooklyn seat. “The political pundits said that this was going to be a close race, but that was before the people had spoken,” said Jeffries, who had topped 71% of the vote with a fraction left to be counted. “The people spoke with one loud voice, and that’s why we’re going to Washington.”
He noted the redrawn 8th Congressional District is plagued by students “trapped in failing public schools” and families in need of affordable housing. “We’ve got too many guns and too few jobs,” he said.
While Barron picked up an unwanted eleventh-hour endorsement from former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, scores of Democratic powers — from Sen. Charles Schumer to Council Speaker Christine Quinn — rallied around Jeffries, and dispatched staffers to help on primary day.
Jeffries even received a tacit blessing from President Obama, who does not endorse during primaries, but posed for a photo with the candidate.
Barron’s far smaller but loyal team of backers countered by driving a sedan in circles around Jeffries’ Bedford-Stuyvesant headquarters — all the while blasting a recorded loop of cheerful music and a cry to vote for the councilman.
Turnout was reportedly higher in the Brooklyn district, especially thanks to a surge from Hasidic Jewish voters who seemed determined to cast their ballots against Barron, who has made several infamous anti-Semitic remarks.
Elsewhere in Kings County, Rep. Nydia Velazquez showed Brooklyn Democratic Party head Vito Lopez who was boss, trouncing his favored candidate, City Councilman Erik Martin Dilan. The incumbent was up 58% to 31% with 97% of precincts reporting.
“He’s someone I proudly endorse,” Lopez said of Dilan as he showed up at a campaign party that the two had hoped would’ve been a celebration. Velazquez, boosted by a late robocall from Gov. Cuomo, overcame a voting-booth problem — the Chinese translation of her name was misspelled on a number of ballots. The state Board of Elections claimed her campaign was alerted to the mistake in April, but failed to respond.
In a closely contested fourway race that cut across family lines in Queens, supremely confident Assemblywoman Grace Meng was declared the winner well after she jumped the gun and crowed she had captured retiring Rep. Gary Ackerman’s old seat.
“We stayed on message and we stayed relentlessly positive,” cheered Meng, who benefited from the new district’s large Asian population. With about 97% of the tally in, Meng had 51% to Assemblyman Rory Lancman’s 28%. City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley — whose congressman cousin, Queens Democratic Party boss Joseph Crowley, had his operation back Meng — drew a disappointing 15%, despite powerful union backing.
Meng challenged her Republic can opponent in the fall, City Councilman Dan Halloran, to run a campaign based on the issues.
“Let’s not ot discuss race or religion,” she he said, a clear reference to Halloran’s 2009 race against gainst Kevin Kim that was marred by allegations of race-baiting ting and religious criticism.
On the Senate side, Manhattan attorney Wendy Long captured the GOP primary to battle heavily favored Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand this fall. She beat out Rep. Bob Turner, who had enjoyed the endorsement of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and Nassau County Controller George Maragos.
Long was one of many candidates and politicos Tuesday who bemoaned the June scheduling: When she walked into her E. 103rd St. polling place to cast her ballot, she and her husband band were the only ones there.
“With a state this big, when you’re a political unknown, it’s a very daunting challenge, especially given the shortness of this primary season,” said Long, who had Turner edged 51% to 36% with 95% of the votes counted.
The Turner campaign announced late Tuesday that at it had requested all the ballots cast statewide be impounded, arguing that it would aid a potential recount — but the razor-thin margin they were expecting was not there in the end.