Kevin Powell, 42, author, activist, and formerly of MTV's Real World, is running for the 10th Congressional District seat in New York City. The incumbent Ed Towns, a 13-term congressman, could be in trouble in the heavily Democratic district where the primary is the election. Towns' district voted overwhelmingly for Senator Obama and his continued support for Clinton following what many felt were racially insensitive remarks made by the Clinton camp, angered voters in his district.
Congressional Black Caucus members around the country are facing primary challengers and angry voters who felt that they should have backed the Illinois Senator. Mr. Towns, also known as the Marlboro man due to his ties to the tobacco industry, is vulnerable. Two years ago he barely escaped with less than 50 per cent of the vote in a three way race.
Towns is clearly worried and is requesting Obama's help. In a recent article in The Hill, Towns said of Obama:
"I hope he would. I’ll make the request myself," he said. "I feel like his endorsement would be extremely helpful. ... There are a lot of colleges and universities in my district. I’ve never seen this kind of excitement from young people." Obama has yet to endorse a candidate and I doubt he will.
So far Obama is not budging.
Towns may lose his seat this time, In a recent NY Times article, his campaign reported that he only had $300,0000 (down to 200K), not a large sum for an incumbent facing a tough primary challenge. Unlike 2006, Powell is the only challenger this time. Furthermore, his constituents have been clamoring for change. Towns, during his tenure in congress, cast several controversial votes that angered voters in the heavily African American district.
Mr. Powell recently won the support of George Soros, the billionaire financier who donated $500 to his campaign. The primary will be held on September 9, 2008 and he needs our help.
John Hicks of the NY times ran a story on Kevin Powell:
Why are you running?
"I’m running because I’ve been a community organizer and not someone who’s been sitting behind a desk," Mr. Powell said in an interview after his announcement at a restaurant in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. "I’ve lived in and have been involved in this district for 18 years."
Mr. Powell on why he feels it is time for a change:
Mr. Towns, he added, "has missed nearly 1,000 votes in Congress since 1993. We feel that it is time to replace the man once and for all."
Mr. Powell said the congressman had done nothing to address some of the pressing needs of the residents of the 10th Congressional District, which stretches from East New York and Bedford-Stuyvesant through Fort Greene and into Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill.
"He hasn’t held any major discussions about affordable housing or the mortgage crisis," Mr. Powell said. "He hasn’t been heard of on any of the major health issues of the day. And Brooklyn has one of the highest rates of H.I.V. and asthma."
More info on Powell..
Recently, in his Open Letter to Congressman Ed Towns. he wrote:
I was born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey, to a young single Black mother, who was never married to my father. Indeed, my father so emotionally devastated my mother by his irresponsibility, absence, and neglect, that my mother turned that hurt on me, her only child. Yes, like many young people in your district, Mr. Towns, I was a victim of all manner of violence as a child, including physical and mental abuse. I strongly recommend that you Google my poem "Son2Mother" to get the full picture of what an inner city child like me, born on the heels of the Civil Rights Movement, had to live through in terms of violence and low self-esteem, and feelings of worthlessness.
In spite of all the above, Congressman Towns, I was able to get a decent public school education, enough for me to see some glimmer of hope out of the poverty and misery of my youth. That is why public school education matters so much to me today.
He speaks openly about his past struggles:
As I have done in my speeches all across America, in several of my eight books, in essays in Essence magazine in 1992 and in Ms. magazine in 2001, on the website huffingtonpost.com in 2008 (see my essay "Ending Violence Against Women and GirlsI have always spoken publicly, locally, nationally, and in all forms of media, about my life's journey and my personal challenges. I have nothing to hide. Nothing. My life is an open book, a testimony of the possibilities of personal growth and redemption and change if one is willing to do the hard work.
This is an excellent oppotunity to replace a longterm washington establishment incumbent with a progressive community activist. Please donate to Kevin's ActBlue page
http://www.actblue.com/...