New York primary results: Rangel survives

Updated at 11:53 p.m.

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) has won the Democratic nomination in his Harlem-based district, paving the way for a 22nd term in Congress as he turned aside a crowded primary field Tuesday.

With 84 percent of precincts reporting, Rangel led state Sen. Adriano Espaillat 45 percent to 40 percent. The AP has called the race for Rangel.

In his victory, Rangel overcomes both health problems that had some speculating he was on his deathbed and a district that took in plenty of Latino territory in redistricting. It’s the second-straight election in which he has withstood a competitive primary.

Also in New York City, New York state Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries easily turned aside primary opponent and controversial New York City Councilman Charles Barron on Tuesday and is a shoo-in to replace retiring Rep. Ed Towns (D-N.Y.) in November.

Towns backed Barron in the primary, but Jeffries was favored by a Democratic establishment worried about some of Barron’s more colorful resume points, including having been a member of the Black Panthers. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D) both backed Jeffries in the primary.

With 97 percent of the vote in, Jeffries was getting almost three times as many votes as Barron, leading 72 percent to 28 percent. Jeffries is considered a rising star in Democratic politics, and is expected to be a force for years to come in Congress.

There was some suggestion that Barron could give Jeffries a real challenge from the left. He has a strong political base in the district and came within 10 points of Towns in the 2006 primary.

Towns — perhaps motivated by personal grievances — endorsed Barron, as did DC 37, the city’s public employees union and the local chapter of the Sierra Club. But Jeffries other union support in this race, and he dominated his rival in fundraising.

In other Empire State results Tuesday:

* Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) easily won a primary against New York City Councilman Erik Dilan, who got the backing of Brooklyn power broker Vito Lopez in a district that took in significant chunks of Brooklyn in redistricting.

* State Assemblywoman Grace Meng won the Democratic primary for retiring Rep. Gary Ackerman’s (D-N.Y.) seat, beating fellow Assembly member Rory Lancman by 22 points with 89 percent of precincts reporting. Meng is now primed to be New York’s first Asian-American member of Congress.

* Businessman Matt Doheny easily won the GOP nomination to face Rep. Bill Owens (D-N.Y.) in a 2010 rematch.

* Former Erie County executive Chris Collins won the Republican nod to face Rep. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) in an upstate district that Democrats won in a 2011 special election.

* Attorney Julian Schreibman won the Democratic primary to face Rep. Chris Gibson (R).

* Bill Clinton-backed Sean Patrick Maloney won the Democratic primary to face Rep. Nan Hayworth (R), defeating Cortlandt Town Councilman Rich Becker.

* Special election-winning Rep. Bob Turner lost the GOP Senate primary handily to attorney Wendy Long. Long was leading 51 percent to 36 percent with 96 percent of precincts in. Turner’s Queens-based district, where he succeeded disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner (D) in a 2011 special election, was eliminated in redistricting, forcing him into the Senate race. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is not considered vulnerable.