Rangel declares victory, though Espaillat wins Bronx

Initial results from Tuesday’s Democratic primary between Rep. Charles Rangel, state Sen. Adriano Espaillat and other candidates show the incumbent with a majority of votes, although the senator appears to have won the Bronx part of the district.

The Associated Press stated Mr. Rangel won about 47 percent of the overall vote, compared to Mr. Espaillat’s roughly 42 percent, with 99.5 percent of precincts in the 13th congressional district reporting.

An analysis of data at www.wnyc.org showed Mr. Espaillat winning about 55 percent of the vote in this borough and Mr. Rangel grabbing about 45 percent — or 3,486 votes and 2,830 votes, respectively.

After polls closed Tuesday night, Mr. Rangel declared victory, but Mr. Espaillat did not concede the race.

“We have reviewed the results as they continue to come in and we feel this race is too close to call," he said at his campaign party beside supporters including Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez.

The Board of Elections will continue counting absentee ballots and votes completed via affidavits through next Tuesday, July 1. But a roughly 1,800 vote lead as of this week suggested Mr. Rangel will triumph in the end.

"We have fought this fight. We have won new friends. We have brought our community together," he told an audience of supporters at his campaign party in Harlem on Tuesday night.

Still, the primary ballot showed the Bronx is still more friendly to Mr. Espaillat than Mr. Rangel since 2012 redistricting expanded the 13th congressional district to include Kingsbridge, Kingsbridge Heights, Van Cortlandt Village, Bedford Park and Norwood along with Marble Hill.

Mr. Espaillat’s campaign declined to comment for this article.

Mr. Dinowitz said Mr. Espaillat and Mr. Rangel “were on more equal footing” in the Bronx than in Upper Manhattan, where the incumbent has been a symbol of the community for years.

“He’s up against an institution,” Mr. Dinowitz said of Mr. Espaillat. “All things considered, he did very well in the Bronx, and I’m very pleased about that.”