But now a super PAC has his back — the Campaign for Primary Accountability, a nonpartisan super PAC that has lofty goals of leveling the playing field of American politics by taking on wealthy and well-known incumbents. The CPA super PAC tosses money at challengers to take down longtime incumbents. 

According to its website, CPA plans to spend six-figures to support Mr. Espaillat. That will be a major boost because Mr. Espaillat only had $56,292 on hand as of April 15. He’s been fund raising vigorously since and said recently the next campaign filing would be a huge leap from that. It’s been a month since the last campaign filing and so the numbers are not all that relevant anymore. But the last filing showed Clyde Williams is a serious challenger.

Mr. Rangel had $226,306 as of the middle of April. Mr. Williams had $208,058 and challenger Joyce Johnson has $1,048 cash on hand, according to Federal Election Commission reports.

With national super PACs getting involved in this election, maybe endorsements from Bronx political clubs don’t mean as much, but don’t worry, we’ll still keep you posted on what the Ben Franklin Reform Democratic Club plans to do, if anything.

Church burglars

State Sen. Jeff Klein’s bill to increase penalties on religious vandals passed the Senate overwhelmingly, 60-1. The law would increase the penalty for theft from a religious institution to a Class D felony, punishable by up to seven years.

Churches across the Bronx have been burgled in the past two years, including many in Kingsbridge, Kingsbridge Heights and Marble Hill. During a spree in late 2010 and early 2011, Kingsbridge Evangelical Church, St. John’s Roman Catholic Church, Church of the Mediator, Our Lady of Angels and St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church were burgled.

More recently, churches in City Island and Pelham Bay, in Mr. Klein’s district, have been hit, which spurred him to introduce the legislation.

Dinowitz on Espada

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz did not waste any time releasing a statement on the conviction of former state Sen. Pedro Espada.

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