Rep. Charles Rangel, 81, at the September unveiling of a portrait celebrating his previous chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee. (Photo courtesy of Rep. Rangel's office)
Rep.Charles Rangel, an enduring Harlem institution at 81, won’t be yielding his Congressional seat anytime soon, it appears. A high-profile Rangel fundraiser last month at a Washington, D.C., restaurant reportedly raised around $50,000, with major Democratic Party figures out in force.
And in an email to his campaign’s mailing list earlier this month, Rangel made clear that he plans to “fight like hell for the privilege of serving again” in the 15th Congressional District. This is his 40th year as a member of the House of Representatives and his 20th Congressional term.
“Charlie’s definitely running again,” confirmed Bob Liff, a Rangel spokesman. “He always campaigns like he never takes anything for granted,” and next year’s primary and general elections will be no different.
The latest available Federal Election Commission filings show that Rangel’s main campaign committee, Rangel for Congress, received $652,485 in contributions this year and has $338,054 in net available funds. From July 1 to September 30 alone, his committee raised $345,946.
In last year’s primary, despite a highly publicized House censure for ethics violations, Rangel easily outpaced the next most popular Democratic candidate, former Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV, 26,101 votes to 11,834.
“What happens in Washington isn’t always reflected in the people’s districts,” said Liff. “On the substance of the job, Charlie Rangel hasn’t lost anything. I challenge you to find another district where a Congressman has had more impact on the lives of people on the street, and really on virtually every block.”
In fact, Liff argued, the 2010 censure might have bolstered Rangel’s support. “Last year we had, in some ways, a better turnout, as there was a sense among people in New York that Charlie was being unfairly treated,” he said. Liff argued that Rangel’s transgressions were “merely rules violations, without any corruption or personal gain involved.”
Last year, in a field of five Democratic opponents, Rangel still drew over 50 per cent of the vote in the Democratic primary. He then defeated Republican Michael Faulkner by a landslide in the general election, with 80 percent of the vote.
But upcoming elections may bring another unpredictable shift for Rangel and others, as a state taskforce redraws Senate, Assembly, and Congressional district lines. Electoral redistricting, which takes place every decade, could reflect the significant demographic changes in Rangel’s district, specifically its growing Hispanic majority. According to the Census, the district is currently 46 percent Hispanic, 26 percent African-American and 21 percent Caucasian.
Pundits of all stripes have speculated for some time about who might eventually replace Rangel when he does step down or lose at the polls. He may be warily eyeing one potential challenger, experienced Washington political operative Clyde Williams, as evidenced by some nameless sniping in a December 6 campaign email. Another possible challenger, Vince Morgan, has received local press attention as a vocal critic of problems with Columbia’s Manhattanville development.
The candidate considered closest to a natural Rangel successor, and most likely to win his endorsement eventually, is Assemblyman Keith Wright. Liff noted that Rangel has a “lot of respect” for Wright.
“People are positioning themselves for when Rangel moves on,” said one Democrat familiar with Rangel’s work. “He’s been there for 40 years, and everyone has had to wait; now you have three generations waiting there, who want that seat.”
Read interviews with each of these likely contenders – Clyde Williams, Vincent Morgan and Assemblyman Keith Wright – all likely to play a key role in Harlem politics next year.
Amazing. What kind of ‘reporting’ is this?! All men. Joyce Johnson came in #3 in the last CD15 election ahead of ALL non-elected officials and creamed Vince Morgan (who came in DEAD LAST) 5-TO-1 and there is NO MENTION OF JOYCE JOHNSON in this article. WTF?!
See the numbers?
CHARLES B RANGEL 26,101
ADAM CLAYTON POWELL 11,834
JOYCE S JOHNSON 6,444
RUBEN D VARGAS 2,703
JONATHAN TASINI 2,634
VINCENT S MORGAN 1,210
It is interesting to see that the only female contender was not mentioned in this article.
In the 2010 race, Joyce Johnson fared better than any of the challengers who were not sitting elected officials. Further, Johnson beat Adam Powell, then a sitting NYS Assemblyman with wide name recognition, in the 67th AD and the 69th AD (parts of 15th C.D.). Also, Clyde Williams is not known or as active in Manhattan, especially uptown, like Johnson.
Johnson’s leadership credentials and activism background earned her the NY Times endorsement over ALL the candidates in 2010. There were at least 6,000 voters who agreed with the NYT. Why is there no coverage on her bid for 2012?
Tasha Williams, Pres. & Co-Founder The Progressive Democratic Club of East Harlem
I am very surprised by the lopsidedness of this article and especially the omission of Joyce Johnson who ran for the seat and came in 3rd, even surpassing Vincent Morgan 6 to 1 in 2010. As I recall, Vincent Morgan came dead last in that race. While it is uncertain whether Rangel will run again, this should not deter Joyce Johnson the best candidate and natural successor for the 15th CD. The District needs Joyce’s commitment, advocacy and dedication, which is what she exhibits in her westside community as a leader and staunch community advocate. Your article failed to give the full picture and potential of a candidate such as Joyce Johnson to capture this seat in 2012. Joyce for Congress 2012!
Please, please, please do a better and less biased job of checking the candidates who are vying for Cong. Rangel’s seat. Joyce Johnson got the New York Times endorsement last time and represented the hopes of so many women and people of color for an ardent, effective voice in Washington for our District. I voted for her last time, both in the primary and as a write-in in the general election – and as a lifelong Democrat, I hope to have the chance to vote for her on the ticket itself this time.
Now what you need to do as a next step is interview Joyce Johnson and let her articulate her excellence. She hasn’t disappeared and should not be overlooked. The old boy network is just that -OLD. If the news value of this piece is Rangel’s tenacity in fighting to remain the seat, then, iterview all those vying for his seat including the sole female who performed well last year. There is more news value to read about the “Little Engines that Could” — those wishing to upset Rangel. Then readers, can make an informed decision.
Asst. Professor, Public Relations, NYIT
Clyde Williams? Vince Morgan? Isn’t it important to have DONE……or at least ATTEMPTED something in the community before being annointed a serious challenger? Another question….isn’t it important that someone know who the heck you are before they will probably vote for you? You want the real skinny? After Rangel, if he goes in the next 4 years, it will be either Wright, Perkins, Espaillat or ODonnell. Anyone else is out of the blue…….A nobody who is a critic of a nothing organization is not the real deal, and neither is a nobody who dusted the mantlepeice of a popular ex-president during his twilight years. Clinton wouldn’t even vote for that guy.