NY – Espaillat Endorsed by the Congressional Black Caucus

2026-01-29 - 13:53

Incumbent Congressman Adriano Espaillat has received a significant boost in his bid to retain his seat in New York’s 13th Congressional District, securing an endorsement from the Congressional Black Caucus Political Action Committee (CBC PAC). Espaillat, 71, made history in 2016 as the first Dominican American elected to the United States Congress and currently serves as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC). His district includes East Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill, and parts of Harlem and the north-west Bronx. “I feel really good,” Espaillat said following the endorsement. “The Congressional Black Caucus is often called the conscience of the House of Representatives. As chair of the CHC, we’ve been doing a lot of work with the tricaucus, which brings together the Black, Hispanic, and Asian and Asian Pacific caucuses. We’ve been working closely on shared priorities, so this endorsement is a real honor and privilege.” The endorsement comes as Espaillat faces his most crowded field of challengers in years ahead of the 2026 Democratic primary. While he has not faced a truly competitive race in over a decade, voter dissatisfaction with long-serving incumbents has encouraged several contenders to enter the race. At least eight challengers have declared, including Oscar Romero, Jaliel Amador, Theo Bruce Chino-Tavarez, former congressional staffer Megan C. Rodriguez, East Harlem newcomer Darializa Avila Chevalier, and LGBTQ activist James Felton Keith. Espaillat said he was not surprised to receive the CBC’s backing despite the presence of Black and Afro Latino candidates in the race. “I’m Afro Latino, and there are several African American and Afro Latino candidates running,” he said. “I believe the CBC looked at the record and concluded that I can continue to represent the district strongly. When it comes to endorsements, everyone has to present their accomplishments and make their case.” In recent weeks, Espaillat has worked closely with fellow caucus members to challenge what he describes as the injustices of President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda. On January 16, he testified at a congressional hearing in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Espaillat called for ICE to be dismantled and restructured to prohibit the use of deadly force. “ICE is an aggressive, violent weapon,” Espaillat said during the hearing. “It has turned out to be a deadly weapon.” Congressman Gregory Meeks of New York, chair of the CBC PAC, praised Espaillat’s leadership and advocacy in a statement announcing the endorsement. “Congressman Adriano Espaillat reflects the kind of leadership that our caucus has long championed,” Meeks said. “At a time when working families are being priced out of neighborhoods they’ve called home for generations, Adriano has been on the front lines fighting to make New York City more affordable.” Meeks added that Espaillat’s work is grounded in lived experience, moral clarity, and a strong commitment to economic justice and civil rights, citing his opposition to aggressive immigration enforcement policies and his efforts to deliver investments that create jobs and strengthen communities. The endorsement also marks a notable shift from the past. Espaillat previously had a strained relationship with elements of the CBC, particularly during his unsuccessful primary challenges against the late Congressman Charles Rangel in 2012 and 2014. In 2016, after Rangel’s retirement, Espaillat defeated Harlem political leader Keith Wright, who had been endorsed by the CBC at the time. “I was able to build strong working relationships over time, including with Congressman Rangel before he passed,” Espaillat said. “We became really good friends.” With the CBC endorsement now in hand, Espaillat enters the 2026 race with added institutional support as he seeks to fend off challengers and extend his decade-long tenure representing Upper Manhattan and the Bronx.