There’s never a dull moment in Congressional District 15 these days. Charlie Rangel has stepped down as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, albeit temporarily, until the ethics investigation is resolved. Reports say Rangel stepped down voluntarily, though it came after a closed door meeting with Nancy Pelosi.
This week also saw political media outlets publishing a barrage of articles on the decline of political power players in Harlem. Both the NY Times and The Economist had write-ups on the fall of the big four. Many marked David Paterson’s recent scandal, coupled with Rangel’s fallback, as the decline of the Old Harlem Guard. Rangel is the only member of the gang of four still in office but Paterson was a product of this Harlem machine. His father was one of the original members and Rangel has served as a mentor of sort.
Challengers like Vince Morgan have been quick to distance themselves from the “Harlem Clubhouse,” launching grass roots campaigns and calling for a change of guard.
So what’s left for Rangel? Some have questioned whether the 79-year-old would seek re-election if he lost the power and prestige that came with his chairmanship and had to revert back to being a regular old congressman. Rangel has been adamant about running for re-election, however. At a recent get-together at iconic Harlem restaurant Sylvia’s (the same restaurant that held a meeting of black community leaders Thursday night to decide whether or not to support David Paterson) a number of politicians made it clear that they still support Rangel and so does the Democratic Party in Manhattan. The Daily News even referred to the meeting as a “love fest.”
Still, there appears to be blood in the water, and other politicians besides Rev. Faulkner and Mr. Morgan are said to be sniffing around, among them State Senator Bill Perkins, Assemblyman Keith Wright, and Joyce Johnson, who is the only one of the three to announce her candidacy. It’s look like there might be a big run-off in the 15th with a lot of people throwing their hats in the ring, with or without Rangel seeking re-election, though probably fewer if he stays in the race.