Gov. Cuomo endorses Rep. Charles Rangel in congressional primary

NEW YORK -- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday threw his support to U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel in the Democratic primary for New York's 13th Congressional District, an endorsement that came with less than 48 hours to go before the polls open.

Rangel, 84, is running for his 23rd term in the House of Representatives in a highly contested race. His opponents include state Sen. Adriano Espaillat, who would be the first Dominican-born member of Congress if he wins Tuesday's primary and the general election in November, as well as Harlem minister Rev. Michael Walrond Jr.

In endorsing Rangel, Cuomo said his "experience, seniority, and steadfast commitment to improving the lives of New Yorkers continue to make him a critical voice in standing up to the Tea Party extremism that is threatening to take over Washington."

Rangel has also gained endorsements from Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand as well as former President Bill Clinton.

Espaillat has been endorsed by City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and City Comptroller Scott Stringer. Campaign Manager Jesse Compoamor pointed to those endorsements and others in responding to the Cuomo announcement, saying, "Adriano Espaillat was 1,000 votes away from unseating Congressman Rangel in 2012 as an insurgent with no political support. Two years later, the call for change is even louder."

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who once managed a Rangel campaign, has stayed out making any endorsements in the race, and chided Rangel for referencing Espaillat's ethnic background and saying that he was running because the district had become increasingly Hispanic.

A NY1/Siena College poll released Thursday put Rangel up 13 points over Espaillat. The margin of error was 3.7 percentage points.

With Primary Day just days away, Rangel says he's not overconfident he'll prevail over his rival - but insisted that voters would stick with a veteran lawmaker, dismissing criticism that he was too old to continue serving in Washington.

"If you had a racehorse that won 43 races, brings in the money, but the horse is old and experienced and knows the track - what would you do?" Rangel, 84, asked reporters Saturday at a Washington Heights storefront church, where he was endorsed by about a dozen Spanish-speaking ministers. "Would you send him to the glue factory? Hell no."

In 2012, Rangel beat Espaillat by fewer than 1,000 votes, a result he attributed Saturday to overconfidence and poor health.

Espaillat, who if elected would be the first member of Congress born in the Dominican Republic, held a campaign rally in upper Manhattan Saturday accompanied by a handful of local elected officials, dozens of campaign workers and about 100 supporters.

"This is a coalition of victory that is completely convinced that Washington is broken and that at the center of that dysfunction is a gentleman called Charles Rangel," he said to applause.

Espaillat dismissed the latest poll's findings as he marched along Broadway with Comptroller Scott Stringer, who beat former Gov. Eliot Spitzer last year in a primary race for that seat which, at one point, had him down 15 points.

Rangel, the last of Harlem's traditional African-American powerbrokers, has been criticized for invoking Espaillat's Dominican heritage, claiming in a debate last month the state Senator hadn't done anything to gain support other than be Dominican in an increasingly Dominican district.

But at the church, Rangel focused on the issues he said he'd fight for in Congress - affordable housing, immigration reform, job creation - and avoided saying anything controversial about race and the changing demographics of the district.

"I feel just as comfortable in Washington Heights and El Barrio as the streets of Harlem where I was born and raised," he said. "That's a good feeling. It's not political, it's emotional, it's America. It's what we're all about."

Rangel's grasp on the district has slipped in recent years, beginning in 2010, when he was forced to resign as chairman of the powerful U.S. House Ways and Means Committee after a series of ethics violations and received a sanction of censure from the House.

Brothers Rafael Medrano, 44, and Alfredo Medrano, 67, were split on who they'd vote for.

The elder Medrano said he'd likely vote for Rangel, who had the necessary experience.

But for Rafael Medrano, the choice was simple.

"Me? I'll vote for Espaillat," he said. "Because he's Dominican."