Rangel Faces Primary Challenge

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), “a once-towering figure in New York politics whose reputation was diminished when he was censured in Washington, is again fighting to keep his seat as a group of Democrats prepare to challenge him in a primary on Tuesday,” Reuters reports.

Nonetheless, “most political watchers still see him being re-elected.”

National Journal: “Rangel has strengths of his own, though. Interestingly, despite the redistricted seat’s new majority-Hispanic status, it also has over 24,500 more African-American residents than the old version of the district. And Rangel’s four-decade career in Congress has engendered abiding loyalty among many blacks and a large swath of Democratic voters in the area. Even though Rangel only won 51 percent in the 2010 primary, he actually won more primary votes (over 26,000) than all but one House candidate in the entire state. That suggests a robust turnout operation at the heart of Rangel’s experienced campaign, and indeed, Rangel significantly overperformed in the 15 precincts with the heaviest turnout in 2010, according to a Hotline analysis.”