Seismic shift in NW Bronx

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Klein endorses Espaillat

The neighborhood’s political contests — which also happen to be the most watched ones in the city — are starting to overlap. Mr. Klein has endorsed state Sen. Adriano Espaillat in his bid to take Rep. Charles Rangel’s seat.

Mr. Klein’s official statement about the matter echoed other officials’ praise of the senator as a champion of affordable housing and other issues. Bronx Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj joined Mr. Klein in the Monday endorsement.

But it is interesting to see a mainstream senate Democrat like Mr. Espaillat accept support from Mr. Klein, whose Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) has come under steady, if low-key, criticism from Democrats who feel disempowered by the IDC — Sen. Gustavo Rivera, a close colleague of Mr. Espaillat, foremost among them.

It remains to be seen what, if anything, Mr. Klein’s endorsement of Mr. Espaillat means about the relationship between mainstream Democrats’ and the IDC.

But Mr. Rangel’s campaign has sought to turn Mr. Espaillat’s association with the IDC to the senator’s disadvantage. Earlier this year, the Rangel camp criticized Mr. Espaillat’s acceptance of $13,000 total in donations from Mr. Klein and the IDC in 2012.

A Rangel surrogate lambasted Mr. Espaillat for accepting the Klein endorsement this week.

“With the failure of the Dream Act, no action on the women’s equality agenda or the minimum wage, it’s up to Senator Adriano Espaillat to explain why he’s accepting the endorsement of Jeff Klein when Klein’s caucus is responsible for working with Republicans to deny the Dream Act, deny the minimum wage increase and deny women’s equality legislation,” former Harlem Councilman Robert Jackson said in a statement.

Jeff Klein, Oliver Koppell, Ben Franklin Club, Adriano Espaillat, John Liu, Charles Rangel, Rev. Michael Walrond, Yolanda Garcia, BronxTalk, Shant Shahrigian
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