Retiring Rep. Charlie Rangel blessed Assemblyman Keith Wright’s bid to succeed him Saturday and slammed Wright’s rivals ꦗfor good measure.
The Harlem congressman blasted Adriano Espaillat, who 🧔opposed Rangel two years ago, for not res🌺igning his state Senate seat to fully commit to the race.
“Are you in or a♔re you out? It’s such a basic, nonpolitical question,” Rangel said, at the Alhambra Ballroom on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard. “Are you running for the Congress or are you holding on to your seat and raising money fo💫r an unsuccessful run?”
And he chided Clyde Williams, a former Demꦬocratic National Committee political director, for raising money largely from Wall Street.
The 23-term Democratic veteran said Wright has support from several top pols from The Bronx, which includes half the district🌌, and predi⛄cted he would continue Harlem’s “political success” in Washington.
“I don’t have to worry that the people from The Bronx respect him,” Rangel said. 𝓡“Keith, you’re goin🤡g to have more support than you ever would think.”
Wright called Rangel a “combination between Joe Lew🥃is and Mu♏hammad Ali.”