Adriano Espaillat, phtoo courtesy of wiki commons.

Manhattan

As Rep. Charlie Rangel’s margin of victory narrows, he and Adriano Espaillat are going to court today.

A Dominic-American group is demanding the Department of Justice monitor the vote-counting process.

Marty Connor is leading Espaillat’s legal efforts.

Brooklyn

The degree to which the two Satmar sects played a role in Nydia Velaquez’s victory is in dispute.

The faction that opposes Vito Lopez claimed credit for Velazquez’s win.

Hakeem Jeffries was tapped for an important Democratic Party fundraising position.

Staten Island

Mark Murphy is touting an internal poll showing him down 15 points to Michael Grimm.

State Senate

David Carlucci’s Republican opponent won’t get the Conservative line because she supports gay marriage. (And she happens to herself be a married lesbian.)

Elsewhere

Harry Giannoulis of the Parkside Group and Hank Sheinkopf got into a bitter email exchange.

To read more from City & State click here.

He was not too happy about it.

But when we reached him on Friday, Barron was looking toward the future and throwing a few jabs at the city’s political establishment.

City & State: How are you doing and how did the election go?

Charles Barron: We’re riding high. We were up against an alignment of unprecedented forces in the annals of New York State politics. I don’t think a candidate has ever faced a presidential photo-op during a Democratic primary. [Jeffries] even reduced the governor to a robocall in a Democratic primary.

I’m talking about the President, the Governor, two state senators, the city council speaker assigning staff people to his campaign, two borough presidents, two county leaders – these are powerful people. A lineup of assembly people, a line up of state senators.

All for me. It turned into a “Stop Barron” campaign. The New York Times endorsed him, the Daily News, the Wall Street Journal endorsed him. Crains. The Observer. The only way the New York Post helped me is by endorsing my opponent.

CS: Was all this about Jeffries or was this about you?

CB: It wasn’t focused on him. They could have done this with Donald Duck and won. Have you ever been involve din a campaign with that kind of alignment. Why? They called me a monster, a racist, a bigot, a malignant clown. I joined a press conference about the congressional redistricting to speak out against the new lines. It wasn’t in my interest to have Jeffries’s own assembly district in there. And he even sent out a mailer with Daily News saying I was a malignant clown

CS: Any positives from the campaign?

CB: In spite of all of that, with just $100,000 and 200 dedicated souls volunteering, we got 10,000 votes. We’re going to continue to build this movement. We’re going to run other candidates. We’re going to continue to build the Freedom Party and we’re going to continue to use running in democratic parties to get access to power.

CS: Why did you vote no on yesterday’s City Council budget?

CB: When I first came into Council in 2001 there were 83,000 summer employment jobs. Now there are a mere 31,000 slots. And over 140,000 youth will apply for these slots. We’re in for a long hot summer. There’s a $65-billion budget. And there’s that money from the Citytime settlement. You’re telling me you couldn’t squeeze out a few million to keep our youths off the streets?

CS: What’s next for you? Are you thinking about Albany and who your replacement will be?

CB: My future is bright and I’m going to make voice louder than ever and continue the movement for justice, liberation, economic emancipation and peace abroad. I haven’t been looking at [William Boyland Jr.’s seat]. Yes I would be very strong for that, but that’s something I am not looking at right now.

As for East New York, I want to maintain the city council seat, and get someone in our ranks to take my place.

To read the full interview click here.

Other encouraging signs? The campaign paid for a spread, including a kosher food station, and there was an open bar.

At 9:15 pm, the place was already three-quarters full and former City Comptroller Bill Thompson was gently working the room alongside Yetta Kurland, who’s considering a bid for Christine Quinn’s council seat in Chelsea.

Jeffries’ tireless spokeswoman, Lupe Todd, made a brief announcement that the campaign crunched early numbers and found that Jeffries was ahead 70 percent to Charles Barron’s 30 percent (unofficial Associated Press numbers as of 12:30 a.m. showed Jeffries up 72-28).

“The bar is open!” said Todd.

The room began an ecstatic hum and Thompson gave interviews.

“The early numbers are just that— but this is a good sign,” Thompson said understatedly. “I think that Hakeem will win by a larger margin that people think and I think Nydia will win.”

Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny and Councilman Al Vann staked out positions near the buffet table.

“I’ve never seen such great numbers,” said Brook-Krasny, who shepherded Jeffries’s winning efforts in Coney Island and Seagate.

I asked Vann whether Rep. Ed Towns made a mistake by endorsing Barron.

“I don’t know what was in his head and why he did it, but I did not think it would make any difference in the race for Hakeem,” he said.

The numbers kept getting better and it seemed like everyone in Brooklyn turned out to celebrate Hakeem’s developing victory. Even former county leader Clarence Norman, fresh off his release from prison, showed up to “congratulate the future congressman.”

“I’m a businessman now,” he said, declining further comment, in the night’s oddest celebrity showing.

To read the full article at City & State click here.

Clyde Williams with his family. Photo courtesy of clyde2012.com.

Clyde Williams, one of a handful of Democratic candidates running in the Congressional district spanning northern Manhattan and the South Bronx, has been largely overlooked in the press with much of the attention going to longtime incumbent Rep. Charlie Rangel and to another challenger, state Sen. Adriano Espaillat. But this weekend Williams, who used to head the Democratic National Committee, landed a key endorsement from the New York Times, which wrote that he “understands the area’s diverse needs and has plans for job creation, education and tax reform.” Williams said the endorsement made clear that he is “the one candidate in the race with fresh ideas for the future – and the skills and experience to turn them into a reality.” “While my opponents debate each others’ ethics, I focus squarely on what matters to people – jobs, education, housing,” he continued. “This race is about progress towards the future, not the politics of the past.” The Times also endorsed candidates in four more Democratic Congressional primaries, giving the nod to Richard Becker in the 18th Congressional District, to Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries in the 8th, to Rep. Nydia Velázquez in the 7^th and to Assemblywoman Grace Meng in the 6^th.

Charles Barron, photo courtesy of Wiki Commons.

Brooklyn

POLITICO looked at Ed Towns’ unexpected endorsement of Charles Barron.

Wall Street and the city’s political class are fearful of a Barron win.

Hakeem Jeffries and Barron debate foreign policy.

Queens

Rory Lancman is pounding the issue of protecting social security.

Bronx/Manhattan

Charlie Rangel skipped a debate in the Bronx, which Adriano Espaillat criticized.

Espaillat himself denied that he is ignoring African-Americans by skipping a forum.

At a debate both attended, they debated the virtues of longevity.

U.S. Senate

Rudy Giuliani appeared in a radio ad for Bob Turner.

The candidates got a thumbs-down on their tech prowess.

Might Kristin Davis run for mayor?

Brooklyn

Hakeem Jeffries may end up getting the endorsement of Andrew Cuomo.

More on Simcha Felder’s state Senate plans.

Manhattan

Rangel and Espailliat are fighting over the endorsement decision of Oscar de la Renta.

State Senate

John Sampson says the Senate Dems’ minimum wage push isn’t about politics.

Elsewhere

Green Party candidates could affect the outcome of several congressional races.

Sheldon Silver may push for public financing for the NY comptroller’s race.

To read more from City & State click here.

NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons.

2013 Mayoral Race

Following a report that NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly is open to running for New York City mayor, Republican leaders will make a full-court press to convince Kelly to do so at a meeting on Staten Island early next month.

Kelly did not deny that he was interested.

Scott Stringer wants to bring back the suburban commuter tax.

State Senate

Senate Democrats have reaped $85,000 in campaign contributions from the state teachers union since they skipped last month’s vote to cut pension benefits for new teachers and other public employees.

A political rival filed an ethnics complaint against Tom Libous.

The redistricting lawsuit may be decided on Wednesday.

Brooklyn

Hakeem Jeffries would like the retiring Ed Towns’ endorsement.

Towns insists he would have emerged victorious.

Charles Barron is largely self-funding his campaign.

U.S. Senate

Marty Golden endorsed Bob Turner’s campaign.

Elsewhere

A lot of money is going into the Maggie Brooks/Louise Slaughter race.

Things are heating up in the primary to take on Rep. Nan Hayworth.

To read more from City & State visit www.cityandstateny.com.

* City & State is proud to present State of Our State, a half-day forum up in Albany on April 25th. The three sessions will focus on Health Care and Medicaid, Energy Development/Exploration Opportunities, and Public-Private Partnerships. Featured guest speakers will include Sen. Kemp Hannon, Sen. George Maziarz, Tom Madison of the New York Thruway Authority, Liz Benjamin of Capitol Tonight/YNN and many others. City & State would also like to invite nominations for our annual Albany Rising Stars: 40 under 40 issue. Nominations should be elected officials, staffers, lobbyists, candidates, activists, reporters and other movers and shakers under 40 years old who are making a difference in Albany. The closing date for your submissions will be Friday, April 13. Winners will be announced shortly after, with details on a reception to be held in Albany in May.

To read more from City & State click here.