Heard Around Town: Clyde Williams to decide on congressional bid “soon”

With state Sen. Bill Perkins formally announcing this weekend his bid to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel and at least three others openly campaigning for the seat, the race could soon get even more crowded with a former candidate seriously mulling a run.

Clyde Williams, the former Democratic National Committee national political director who ran for the seat in 2012, said he’ll be announcing “soon” whether he intends to enter the race.

Williams, who also worked for President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton, said his 2012 bid showed he would be a viable candidate. That year, Williams faced off against Rangel, who plans to retire in 2016, state Sen. Adriano Espaillat, Craig Schley and Joyce Johnson.

“I am the only African-American candidate, other than Charlie Rangel, who ran in his new congressional district … and actually pulled 10 percent of the vote,” said Williams, a central Harlem resident. “The demographic numbers are there in order to mount a real race and win.” 

Williams said he would unveil more particulars of a potential policy platform later. But he said he’d like to see a number of issues addressed, including rising rents, health disparities and the growing number of methadone clinics and other support programs in East Harlem. He also called for better public education, including giving parents the option of sending their children to charter schools.

Due to redistricting in 2012, Rangel’s district now stretches up to the Bronx and is majority Latino. Harlem Assemblyman Keith Wright; Perkins; Adam Clayton Powell IV, the former assemblyman and son of the late U.S. Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr.; and former Clinton administration official and pastor Suzan Johnson Cook have announced plans to run. Several others have expressed interest in succeeding Rangel.

Williams claimed he would be the only candidate with experience in Washington, D.C.

“You look at the dysfunction that we see in Albany from corruption to mismanagement – it’s unbelievable that they think they should be promoted to Washington, D.C.” Williams said. “I have an understanding of what it would take to get this job done from day one. I don’t need to spend two or three years trying to figure out where the bathroom is.”