For 2008, No Bull’s-Eye on Towns’ Back
Barron sitting out rematch, no major challengers arise for longtime primary target
September 17th, 2007
Edolphus Towns is not about to let 2006 happen all over again.
In last year’s Democratic congressional primary, Towns got only 47 percent of the vote, edging out Charles Barron, the combative City Council member, who accused him of being a “Republicrat” for voting with the GOP on labor issues and of ignoring the district.
Towns said he underestimated Barron, largely because of his confrontational public persona. “Based on Barron and what he stood for and what he was about, I didn’t take him that seriously,” Towns said.
Towns’ 4,000 vote margin of victory in seeking his 13th term made for his tightest election to date. Had Barron captured the more than 6,000 votes that went to then-Assembly Member Roger Green, he would have won.
Towns says he learned an important lesson: never take an opponent for granted. He is expecting a challenge next year, and if one does arise, he plans to be greeting voters on street corners, at subway stations and in community meetings.
“I didn’t get out there and do the things Ed Towns does in a campaign,” Towns said. “But this time around, whoever it is, I will not take them lightly.”
Already, Towns has stepped up his presence in the district, which covers parts of Williamsburg and extends west to East New York. Barron claimed credit for this change. “He’s working harder than he’s ever worked in his life,” Barron said.
Last year’s race was not the first time Towns faced a primary challenge supported by prominent Democrats, nor was it the first time that he followed up a narrow victory with a promise to increase his presence in the district.
In 1998, a year after Towns endorsed Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (R) for reelection, former Mayor David Dinkins (D) encouraged Rev. Al Sharpton to run in the primary. Sharpton declined, and Barry Ford, a lawyer and fundraiser, ran as the Democratic Party’s opposition candidate. Kenneth Diamondstone, a community activist, ran as well.
Ford got 36 percent of the 1998 vote. Ford ran again in 2000, receiving fewer votes in that race. Towns does not have major opposition for 2008 so far.
Looking ahead to next year, Barron has decided to forgo a rematch, instead gearing up for a 2009 run for Brooklyn borough president. Other elected officials who live in the district expect to be sitting out the race as well. State Sen. John Sampson said he is not interested in Congress, and City Council Member Letitia James said she thinks Towns is “a shoo-in for reelection.” Assembly Member William Boyland Jr., meanwhile, said he would not challenge Towns in a primary, but would consider running if the congressman retires. Assembly Member Annette Robinson—who considered running against Towns in 1998—did not return calls placed to her Albany and Brooklyn offices.
The only potential challenger to arise so far is Kevin Powell, who first became known as a cast member in the first season of MTV’s The Real World in 1992, and has since worked as an author and public speaker. Powell was briefly in the congressional race in 2006, dropping out last July.
In an interview with ColorLines Magazine earlier this year, Powell said he will run for Congress in 2008. He launched a campaign website, www.kevinpowellforcongress.com, on which he wrote that he has “decided to embark on an amazing personal and political journey. I am running as a Democrat for a seat in the United States Congress in the 10th Congressional District here in Brooklyn, New York. AND I NEED YOUR HELP.” The website accepts online donations and encourages other fundraising and campaign events.
But at an August 16 anti-Iraq War rally, Powell would not commit to run. “The website is up,” he said. “That doesn’t mean I’m running.”
Powell was a featured speaker at the rally. He criticized the cost of the war in general and its effect on Brooklyn’s 10th Congressional district specifically. But asked if he planned to join the race, he said, “I don’t know. I’m here to talk about the war.”
Towns was targeted in part last year because of his record on labor issues, particularly his 2005 vote in favor of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which unions charged would lead to outsourcing of manufacturing jobs.
Labor activists vowed to support any candidate who ran against the 15 Democrats who sided with Republicans on the trade bill and gave it the margin to pass.
But Towns received almost all the labor money which went into the 2006 race. Barron’s only union political action committee contribution was $2,000 from the Mason Tenders District Council, a construction workers union that was not affected by the trade bill.
“It’s kind of a solidarity thing,” said Mike McGuire, director of the Mason Tenders PAC. He called the Barron campaign contribution “a message to Towns.”
Green received contributions totaling $500 from various members of 1199 SEIU, the health care union.
Union money did pour into the race, however. Towns received almost $16,000 from unions and trade associations. And already for the 2008 election, Towns has amassed $12,000 in labor money.
Jonathan Tasini, executive director of the Labor Research Association, said that unions often support Democratic incumbents. “He does not have great love in the labor movement,” said Tasini about Towns. “But there’s still a long road from the labor movement to say ‘let’s take this guy out.’”
Tasini said that Towns has been voting “better” on labor issues.
But Towns said critiques of his union record are uninformed. Critics who felt slighted by the CAFTA vote have not done their “research or homework,” he said. “Ed Towns is about labor.”
After 24 years in Congress, Towns is not planning a retirement party any time soon. “I’m a young 73,” he said. “I haven’t even thought about retirement.”
When the time comes, Towns said that he expects his son, Assembly Member Darryl Towns (D-Brooklyn), to run to succeed him.
The younger Towns expressed some interest in going to Washington. “It’s a moot point right now,” he said. “When there is a vacancy, I’ll consider a run for Congress.”
The elder Towns said that if and when the time comes for his son to run for his seat, he will take a lesson from the 2006 primary in the neighboring district, formerly represented by Major Owens. Owens’ son, Chris, came in last in that race, which was won by Yvette Clarke.
Unlike Chris Owens, Darryl Towns has long been an elected official in his own right, having first been elected to the Assembly in 1992. But Ed Towns does not plan to take any chances. He said he would pull together support from tenant associations, community leaders and the clergy.
“I would call them and say to them, ‘Look, this is something that I would like to see happen,’” Towns said. “I don’t think Major did that.”
The elder Towns expects his son will be a strong candidate in his own right—so strong, in fact, that the Assemblyman is the only candidate who worries the congressman.
“He’s gotta wait,” Towns said, laughing. “I hope he doesn’t decide to run against me.”
Direct letters to the editor to cityhall@manhattanmedia.com.
Cartoon by Scott Williams.
In last year’s Democratic congressional primary, Towns got only 47 percent of the vote, edging out Charles Barron, the combative City Council member, who accused him of being a “Republicrat” for voting with the GOP on labor issues and of ignoring the district.
Towns said he underestimated Barron, largely because of his confrontational public persona. “Based on Barron and what he stood for and what he was about, I didn’t take him that seriously,” Towns said.
Towns’ 4,000 vote margin of victory in seeking his 13th term made for his tightest election to date. Had Barron captured the more than 6,000 votes that went to then-Assembly Member Roger Green, he would have won.
Towns says he learned an important lesson: never take an opponent for granted. He is expecting a challenge next year, and if one does arise, he plans to be greeting voters on street corners, at subway stations and in community meetings.
“I didn’t get out there and do the things Ed Towns does in a campaign,” Towns said. “But this time around, whoever it is, I will not take them lightly.”
Already, Towns has stepped up his presence in the district, which covers parts of Williamsburg and extends west to East New York. Barron claimed credit for this change. “He’s working harder than he’s ever worked in his life,” Barron said.
Last year’s race was not the first time Towns faced a primary challenge supported by prominent Democrats, nor was it the first time that he followed up a narrow victory with a promise to increase his presence in the district.
In 1998, a year after Towns endorsed Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (R) for reelection, former Mayor David Dinkins (D) encouraged Rev. Al Sharpton to run in the primary. Sharpton declined, and Barry Ford, a lawyer and fundraiser, ran as the Democratic Party’s opposition candidate. Kenneth Diamondstone, a community activist, ran as well.
Ford got 36 percent of the 1998 vote. Ford ran again in 2000, receiving fewer votes in that race. Towns does not have major opposition for 2008 so far.
Looking ahead to next year, Barron has decided to forgo a rematch, instead gearing up for a 2009 run for Brooklyn borough president. Other elected officials who live in the district expect to be sitting out the race as well. State Sen. John Sampson said he is not interested in Congress, and City Council Member Letitia James said she thinks Towns is “a shoo-in for reelection.” Assembly Member William Boyland Jr., meanwhile, said he would not challenge Towns in a primary, but would consider running if the congressman retires. Assembly Member Annette Robinson—who considered running against Towns in 1998—did not return calls placed to her Albany and Brooklyn offices.
The only potential challenger to arise so far is Kevin Powell, who first became known as a cast member in the first season of MTV’s The Real World in 1992, and has since worked as an author and public speaker. Powell was briefly in the congressional race in 2006, dropping out last July.
In an interview with ColorLines Magazine earlier this year, Powell said he will run for Congress in 2008. He launched a campaign website, www.kevinpowellforcongress.com, on which he wrote that he has “decided to embark on an amazing personal and political journey. I am running as a Democrat for a seat in the United States Congress in the 10th Congressional District here in Brooklyn, New York. AND I NEED YOUR HELP.” The website accepts online donations and encourages other fundraising and campaign events.
But at an August 16 anti-Iraq War rally, Powell would not commit to run. “The website is up,” he said. “That doesn’t mean I’m running.”
Powell was a featured speaker at the rally. He criticized the cost of the war in general and its effect on Brooklyn’s 10th Congressional district specifically. But asked if he planned to join the race, he said, “I don’t know. I’m here to talk about the war.”
Towns was targeted in part last year because of his record on labor issues, particularly his 2005 vote in favor of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which unions charged would lead to outsourcing of manufacturing jobs.
Labor activists vowed to support any candidate who ran against the 15 Democrats who sided with Republicans on the trade bill and gave it the margin to pass.
But Towns received almost all the labor money which went into the 2006 race. Barron’s only union political action committee contribution was $2,000 from the Mason Tenders District Council, a construction workers union that was not affected by the trade bill.
“It’s kind of a solidarity thing,” said Mike McGuire, director of the Mason Tenders PAC. He called the Barron campaign contribution “a message to Towns.”
Green received contributions totaling $500 from various members of 1199 SEIU, the health care union.
Union money did pour into the race, however. Towns received almost $16,000 from unions and trade associations. And already for the 2008 election, Towns has amassed $12,000 in labor money.
Jonathan Tasini, executive director of the Labor Research Association, said that unions often support Democratic incumbents. “He does not have great love in the labor movement,” said Tasini about Towns. “But there’s still a long road from the labor movement to say ‘let’s take this guy out.’”
Tasini said that Towns has been voting “better” on labor issues.
But Towns said critiques of his union record are uninformed. Critics who felt slighted by the CAFTA vote have not done their “research or homework,” he said. “Ed Towns is about labor.”
After 24 years in Congress, Towns is not planning a retirement party any time soon. “I’m a young 73,” he said. “I haven’t even thought about retirement.”
When the time comes, Towns said that he expects his son, Assembly Member Darryl Towns (D-Brooklyn), to run to succeed him.
The younger Towns expressed some interest in going to Washington. “It’s a moot point right now,” he said. “When there is a vacancy, I’ll consider a run for Congress.”
The elder Towns said that if and when the time comes for his son to run for his seat, he will take a lesson from the 2006 primary in the neighboring district, formerly represented by Major Owens. Owens’ son, Chris, came in last in that race, which was won by Yvette Clarke.
Unlike Chris Owens, Darryl Towns has long been an elected official in his own right, having first been elected to the Assembly in 1992. But Ed Towns does not plan to take any chances. He said he would pull together support from tenant associations, community leaders and the clergy.
“I would call them and say to them, ‘Look, this is something that I would like to see happen,’” Towns said. “I don’t think Major did that.”
The elder Towns expects his son will be a strong candidate in his own right—so strong, in fact, that the Assemblyman is the only candidate who worries the congressman.
“He’s gotta wait,” Towns said, laughing. “I hope he doesn’t decide to run against me.”
Direct letters to the editor to cityhall@manhattanmedia.com.
Cartoon by Scott Williams.
