In the sink-or-swim world of electoral politics, the waters have become ever rougher. A wave of anti-incumbent sentiment is sweeping across the country, drowning hardened pols while elevating a new crop of politicians to the surface. And here in Harlem, these newcomers are ambitiously attempting to ride the tide.
Enter Adam Clayton Powell IV, Joyce Johnson, Jonathan Tasini, and Vince Morgan. All four Democrats are vying to unseat Congressman Charles Rangel in the Democratic primary on September 14th. Rangel has represented Harlem since 1971 and was all but invincible in his district—until recently. In the past several months, he’s become involved in a bitter ethics battle, one which is threatening to derail his 40-year congressional career.
Now these four candidates, mostly little-known names until a few months ago, are seeking to make their way into the 15th congressional district’s political fold. They’re vowing to change the way politics is done in Harlem, a place which is increasingly being deemed as a bastion of political corruption in the wake of Rangel’s supposed violations and other city politicians’ misconduct.
Still, Rangel continues to have the greatest advantage of all: a career rooted in the bygone era of an extraordinary group of political leaders. And for the many people who saw Harlem at the apex of its political glory, Rangel is one of the last remaining links to a place where black politicians originated and rose to national prominence; where these leaders rode the tumultuous waves, together with their constituents, through the growing pains of this rapidly-evolving neighborhood; and where, perhaps because of all of these reasons, incumbency has long reigned supreme.
But are the residents ready for a change to the Harlem political machine that’s been so enshrined in nostalgia?
These four new power brokers say yes. A far cry from the first generation of Harlem politicians who came from highly humble upbringings, they represent a new face to the Harlem arena, ranging from a state assemblyman whose father was once a part of the political elite here; to a lone female candidate who rose through the ranks of manufacturing operations; to a strategist and writer who was a onetime contender against Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the New York 2006 Democratic Senate primary; to a New York banker who was one of Rangel’s former campaign directors and will now challenge Rangel himself.
This series will highlight all of the Democratic contenders and shed light on what they plan to bring to the neighborhood should one of them be elected. Even if Rangel does win, Harlem politics is bound to see a change—these up-and-coming politicians have promised they are not going anywhere. What exactly the new landscape will look like remains to be seen, whether it’s a second coming of the famed Harlem clubhouse where the powerhouses used to gather; a movement modeled on President Barack Obama’s; or an entirely new order altogether. But if ever there were a bellwether for what it may be, it’s certainly this new generation of Harlem politicians.
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Most politicians would be hard-pressed to summarize their strategy for electoral success in just a few words. But for State Assembly member Adam Clayton Powell IV, victory boils down to a simple gimmick: it’s all about the numbers.
“In two hours, I may see 1,000 people,” Powell told Spectator in an interview while he handed out campaign pamphlets to straphangers emerging from the 168th Street subway station. “Out of every 10 people I speak to, only one votes. There’s 253,000 registered Democrats, only 50,000 of them vote. My goal is to get at least another 4 or 5,000 to the voting booths.”
During the day’s politicking, Powell underscored just how essential each vote will be to win the seat for the 15th Congressional District of New York. And while the five-man race is considered a crowded one by general primary standards, as far as those in political circles are concerned, the true competition is between only two men: the embattled Congressman Charles Rangel—whose electoral standing is in jeopardy amid an ongoing ethics controversy—and Powell.
This primary race marks what many consider an ironic course of events in Harlem politics. Four decades ago, Rangel unseated Powell IV’s father, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.—and now Powell is hoping to triumph over the very same man who beat his father. But Powell has consistently maintained that his decision to run has nothing to do with avenging his father’s loss.
“It makes for an interesting story and this all happened 40 years ago, but my motivation has nothing to do with that,” Powell says. “Anybody else with my public service credentials, anyone else with any other name, people would think that running for this position would just be a natural step.”
Powell IV, who has represented the 68th Assembly District since 2000, served as a New York City Council member representing East Harlem, parts of the Upper West Side, and the South Bronx from 1992 to 1997. During this time, he unsuccessfully ran against Rangel in an effort to regain the seat that his father had lost in 1970—a seat which Rangel had held on to for nearly 30 years.
But this time around, Powell says victory is not only probable, but inevitable. As of the last poll released by the organization Public Policy Polling in July—prior to Rangel’s congressional ethics proceedings—Powell was trailing Rangel by fewer than 20 percentage points. That gap, he suspects, must have narrowed significantly since.
“We felt very encouraged by those numbers, as a challenger will usually narrow the gap against an incumbent, particularly a long-term incumbent,” Powell said. “If there was a poll today, we’d be on top.”
But despite Powell’s legislative experience, just how ready the up-and-coming politician is to challenge Rangel remains to be seen. For 40 years, Rangel has represented the 15th Congressional District, amassing what many consider myriad legislative successes for his area, as well as an ardently loyal constituency.
“I think the voters in his [Rangel’s] district showed Mr. Powell 16 years ago that he wasn’t the right person to serve them in the United States Congress, and I believe they’ll show him that again,” said Rangel campaign manager Kevin Wardally, the Senior Vice President for Political and Government Affairs for Bill Lynch Associates. “Based on what Rangel has delivered to the people, the people in the district are going to reward him, and I believe anyone who runs against him is going to lose.”
Still, the timing of Rangel’s public trial, which begins on Sept. 13—the day before the Democratic primary—may be the Achilles heel in Rangel’s electoral career.
“Rangel’s a crook, and we gotta get him out of office,” local Robert Torres-Charon said, with one of Powell’s campaign pamphlets in hand. “I met Powell for the first time today, and this guy’s impressive. I’d definitely vote for him.”
Powell asserts that should he be elected, he would immediately delve into issues that matter most for Harlem residents and those throughout northern Manhattan. At the top of his agenda is raising the minimum wage to 10 dollars, an issue which he has honed in on in recent years.
“I feel very passionate that working men and women deserve a decent wage for an honest day’s work,” Powell says. “I feel that somebody ought to be making at least $20,000 a year.”
At the same time, though, some have argued that his legislative priorities are in conflict. While raising the minimum wage, he also wishes to give small businesses tax credits, lower taxes, create jobs, extend affordable housing, and protect Social Security—all while bringing the national deficit under control.
But as has been the theme of congressional races throughout the country this year, candidates have been focusing less on the minutiae of prospective legislative dockets, and instead on rousing emotion from voters frustrated with the status quo. And Powell did just that while canvassing, keeping his promises concise and unapologetically condemning Rangel.
“Forty years is over in seven days!” Powell and his small campaign team announced to passersby. “Seven days!”
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