Charles Rangel is toast, says former Rep. Anthony Weiner.
The dean of New York’s congressional delegation faces a demographic challenge in his fight to retain his seat representing uptown Manhattan and part of the Bronx.
“It’s a pretty tough race for an African-American to win at this point,” fellow Democrat Weiner said.
In the 2012 primary, with new district lines that included heavily Hispanic areas of the Bronx, Rangel beat state Sen. Adriano Espaillat, a native of the Dominican Republic, by just 1,086 votes.
Rangel benefited from boosted voter interest in a presidential election year, Weiner said. Now, Espaillat is starting to catch up on Rangel, 83, in fundraising. Rangel raised $272,000 in the first quarter, the campaign said Tuesday. He has raised $730,000 this cycle and has $223,000 cash on-hand.
Espaillat has raised $230,000 this quarter. He has raised a total of $310,000 and has $220,000 in cash on-hand.
A third candidate, the Rev. Michael Walrond, raised $63,000 this quarter and $142,897 to date. He has $74,000 in cash on-hand.
Weiner, who lost his mayoral bid last year and writes a monthly column for the Daily News, said Rangel’s close shave in the last election was telling.
“When you’re an incumbent who’s been around as long as Charlie has, and you’re only getting a tie the last time out — it’s a little bit like a championship boxer getting a scare,” said Weiner.
“The landscape of Congress is littered with people who waited too long to leave.”
A Rangel spokesman hit back: “Isn’t this the same person who predicted he’d be living in Gracie Mansion right about now? Clearly Mr. Weiner is better at taking selfies than political prognostication.”
