(New York, NY) Last night, at the first debate of the Primary campaign in the 13th Congressional District Congressman Charles Rangel said he was apprehensive about representing the Bronx.
“Rangel’s statement so clearly explains why he still hasn’t established an office to serve the Bronx community as he promised to do two years ago,” Jesse Campoamor, Campaign Manager said. “The people of the District deserve a Congressmember who will fight for them, not dismiss them. Senator Adriano Espaillat knows the importance of unifying the District and will finally open a long overdue Bronx District Office when he becomes the next Congressmember for the 13th.”
Previous Statements and Facts about Congressman Rangel and the Bronx:
- Rangel was reportedly: “enraged by the thought of drastically changing the shape of his district” to include the Bronx.
- He was unmistakably clear in 2011 stating: “As to one of the things I will be doing is making sure that I do all I can to keep that district in Manhattan, and not to have to go [into] Mount Vernon, or the Bronx”.
- He even says in his own autobiography: “But the bottom line is I’m the only New York congressman whose district has always remained entirely on the island of Manhattan. As I’ve said a few times earlier, God is good.”
- In the 2012 NY-13 Democratic Primary, Rangel actually lost the Bronx section of the district to Senator Adriano Espaillat by 233 votes.
- Now representing the Borough, Rangel has faced criticism for his refusal to open a district office in the Bronx. It would take Bronx residents “at least an hour” of traveling to visit his longtime district office on 125th street.
