Sharpton warns Rangel, rivals to stop arguing about race

Azi Paybarah

One day after Rep. Charlie Rangel accused his leading rival of running a race-based campaign, Rev. Al Sharpton welcomed all three candidates to his National Action Network headquarters on Saturday morning, with a warning about the tone of the race.

“The ones that divide us … ought not to be in the race," Sharpton warned during his nationally broadcast radio show from the Harlem headquarters.

The congressional primary has become increasingly bitter in recent weeks, culminating in a sharp televised debate yesterday, in which Rangel and State Senator Adriano Espaillat accused each other of running divisive campaigns. Rangel cited a flyer Espaillat sent in 2012 accusing a fellow Dominican legislator of being a “traitor” for endorsing Rangel, who is black, over Espaillat in that year’s congressional race.

Sharpton said in an interview on Sunday he was unhappy with how Rangel attacked Espaillat in the debate, and dismissed the congressman's concerns about the flyer.

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/city-hall/2014/06/8546750/sharpton-warns-rangel-rivals-stop-arguing-about-race