[Charlie] Rangel Fends Off Challengers to Win Difficult Primary

nytimes.com ^ | 6/26/12 | Thomas Kaplan

[Justaham]

Surviving one of the toughest re-election fights of his career, Representative Charles B. Rangel fended off four challengers on Tuesday to win the Democratic nomination for a 22nd term in Congress.

“I’m just glad that my community has faith and confidence in me,” Mr. Rangel told reporters shortly before declaring victory at Sylvia’s, the famed Harlem restaurant.

Mr. Rangel’s victory capped a gripping campaign for a Congressional seat that for decades has been at the center of black political power — and preserved a career in Washington that had been threatened by ethics troubles and changing demographics.

Mr. Rangel was censured in 2010 after the House Ethics Committee found him guilty of 11 counts of ethical violations, including failure to pay taxes, improper solicitation of donations and failure to report his personal income accurately.

And because of the decennial redistricting process, Mr. Rangel, who turned 82 this month and had been slowed by back problems, was forced to run in a district that had been extended from Harlem into the Bronx, giving its population a Hispanic majority.

[firebrand]

Rangel’s district was 50% Hispanic before the redistricting. Now it’s 55%. (It was 30 percent black and 15 percent white non-Hispanic before the redistricting.)

Still not enough to take it away from him, although Dominicans are a group that votes at a rate of 50% (considered high) and the black vote was split four ways against one Hispanic. Lack of high attention on this primary, coming at an unusual time for NY, didn’t help.

Now Charlie will win, retire, and pick his replacement, and the show goes on.

A Republican in my neighborhood switched parties a year ago just so he could vote against Charlie in the primary—and then they redistricted and gave us Nadler. The final insult: he couldn’t vote today when there is only a Republican primary because now he’s a Democrat.

[SF_Redux]

**Written by Doug Powers

A couple of primary results from Tuesday I didn’t get to last night:

Orrin Hatch survived to seek a seventh term in the US Senate.

Also, the forever lingering evidence of a swamp undrained, Charles Rangel, lives on to seek his 22nd term in November.

All in all, it was a good reminder that the electorate isn’t completely fed up with the status quo.

**Written by Doug Powers

[jmaroneps37]

This is a double win for us. It was a finger in the eye for Hispanics from the Democrat establishment - Cuomo endorsed him as did many others - and we get to point to Charlie as a reason NOT to ever let the Democrats in charge again.
Anyone who thinks this will have no effect on Hispanic enthusiasm is wrong. It will add nothing to it so it is a lost opportunity for the Democrats. This is a nice little double header for us.

[hattend]

The only way Charlie is leaving Congress is in a pine box.

Way to go Harlem!

[evad]

"Which has the stupidest people in their district: Rangel, Schultz or Pelosi?"

The stupidest people are the ones that voted for them.

[CPT Clay]

Stupid voters in that district.

[New Jersey Realist]

Ohhh,the stench from that district is reaching me here in South Jersey!

[firebrand]

Note that Charlie might need a recount.