State Assembly member Adam Clayton Powell IV is looking for luck on 116th in Harlem.
At 116th Street and Lexington Avenue, the spot known as the “lucky corner” for some local politicians, Powell officially announced that he will be running for Congress on Monday morning.
During the informal conference, Powell emphasized the differences between himself and Charles Rangel, the congressman who has represented Northern Manhattan for 40 years and who will oppose him in the Democratic primary.
Powell, who currently represents much of East and Central Harlem in the New York State Assembly, repeatedly asserted that the “word in political circles” is that Rangel has no intention of serving another term in Congress.
“The fact is that the congressman, despite his long legacy and good service to the people of New York ... wants to get re-elected, then resign to appoint a successor. That would be the height of undemocratic process. That would be outrageous,” Powell said.
Rangel, who originally unseated Powell IV’s father, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., stepped down as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means committee in early March amid allegations that he accepted gifts from corporate sponsors and didn’t properly pay his income taxes.
That event sparked Powell’s interest in running for the seat, he said. As for Rangel’s ongoing ethics investigation, he said, “It’s not a factor from my point of view, but obviously we’re all interested in what happens.”
Kevin Wardally, senior vice president for political and government affairs for Bill Lynch Associates, which is in charge of Rangel’s campaign, offered his own interpretation after Powell’s speech.
To the claim that Rangel doesn’t plan to serve another term, Wardally said, “It’s just not true. He intends to serve out his full term, and Adam just has bad information.”
“To pretend that he doesn’t sit on Ways and Means, is not a senior member of Ways and Means, has not been a senior legislator for years and understands the process and has brought more money to this district than anyone would have imagined, is all wishful thinking,” he added.
Before serving in the State Assembly, Powell represented parts of the Upper West Side, East Harlem, and the Bronx in the City Council.
On Monday, Powell also directly addressed his own legal issues after being found guilty of driving while impaired two weeks ago.
“When the policeman saw my ID, he said to himself, ‘I got a big fish,’ and wouldn’t let go. ... Unfortunately, when a cop lies, anyone can be guilty,” he said, encouraging the crowd to watch the video circulating online and decide whether he seemed impaired.
Powell answered some questions and greeted supporters in Spanish, reflecting the growing importance of Harlem’s Hispanic population—a factor which he acknowledged could work in his favor.
“The fact that I was born in Puerto Rico and speak Spanish fluently, I hope, will help me to communicate with that 50 percent of the district,” he said.
Despite the focus on Rangel, Powell said he would be just as enthusiastic to run if the congressman dropped out of the race tomorrow, calling his own congressional aspirations “a natural progression.”
“This is not about settling any score, this is not about the Greek tragedy that the media loves about revenge. It has nothing to do with that,” he said.
Vince Morgan, a former Rangel staffer, has also announced that he is running for Rangel’s seat, and Powell mentioned that Assembly member Daniel O’Donnell, who currently represents parts of the Upper West Side and West Harlem, is interested as well.
Powell’s announcement attracted groups of passersby and supporters, like Migdalia Marrero, a local resident, who said Powell has fought for her affordable housing complex.
“Right now we got homes because of him. He was with our people in the neighborhood, he was number one, through all the politicians,” she said.
Still, Powell acknowledged that he has a long fight ahead of him. The first time Powell announced his candidacy at that spot was in 1989 when he ran for City Council, and he is hoping for a different result.
“That year, I didn’t win, so hopefully this time I’ll be a little more lucky,” he said.
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