NEW YORK: The New York Daily News looks at the impact of redistricting on congressional races today, including for Rep. Charlie Rangel: “Rangel has represented uptown Manhattan for decades but the 82-year-old is now on the hot seat due to a recent ethics scandal and a new district in which Latinos now outnumber blacks.”
Reuters: “U.S. Congressman Charles Rangel, a once-towering figure in New York politics whose reputation was diminished when he was censured in Washington, is again fighting to keep his seat as a group of Democrats prepare to challenge him in a primary on Tuesday. Rangel, who has represented Harlem since 1971 and is a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, is battling a crowd of younger politicians in a redrawn district that is now heavily Latino. Yet most political watchers still see him being re-elected.”
National Journal explains why Rangel likely wins: “Rangel has strengths of his own, though. Interestingly, despite the redistricted seat's new majority-Hispanic status, it also has over 24,500 more African-American residents than the old version of the district. And Rangel's four-decade career in Congress has engendered abiding loyalty among many blacks and a large swath of Democratic voters in the area. Even though Rangel only won 51 percent in the 2010 primary, he actually won more primary votes (over 26,000) than all but one House candidate in the entire state. That suggests a robust turnout operation at the heart of Rangel's experienced campaign, and indeed, Rangel significantly overperformed in the 15 precincts with the heaviest turnout in 2010, according to a Hotline analysis.”
UTAH: A Deseret News/KSL-TV poll has Sen. Orrin Hatch leading GOP challenger Dan Liljenquist, 60-32%.
The Salt Lake Tribune: “As tea party conservatives took aim at Sen. Orrin Hatch, his Republican colleagues sent reinforcements in the form of campaign contributions that have added up to more than $370,000. That hefty sum matches the amount Hatch’s GOP challenger has been able to raise from all sources combined.”