Charles Rangel, former longtime N.Y. congressman who represented Harlem, dies at 94

Charles Rangel, the Democratic erstwhile congressman from New York who championed his Harlem assemblage connected Capitol Hill for astir 5 decades, died Monday, his household said.

He was 94.

City College of New York spokesperson Michelle Stent confirmed Rangel's decease successful a statement, saying helium died astatine a infirmary successful New York.

Politicians and supporters remembered Rangel, known arsenic Charlie, for his years successful nationalist work and heavy roots successful New York City. He was calved successful Harlem and was archetypal elected to Congress successful 1970, representing a legislature territory that was archetypal drawn up successful the 1940s and allowed the neighborhood's bulk Black voters to nonstop 1 of their ain to Washington.

Rep. Charles Rangel extracurricular the U.S. Capitol successful 1995.Maureen Keating / CQ Roll Call via Getty Images

Rangel served for truthful agelong that helium earned the nickname the "Lion of Lenox Avenue," referring to 1 of Harlem's superior corridors.

"Charlie Rangel was a large man, a large friend, and idiosyncratic who ne'er stopped warring for his constituents and the champion of America," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Monday connected X. "The database of his accomplishments could instrumentality pages, but helium leaves the satellite a overmuch amended spot than helium recovered it."

New York Mayor Eric Adams said connected X that helium was "sad to suffer a beloved person and exemplary exemplary of devotion and courage." The Rev. Al Sharpton called Rangel a "trailblazing legislator and an unshakable unit successful American politics."

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo besides honored Rangel arsenic his "mentor and friend."

"He had that Harlem occurrence successful his bosom and a joyousness successful his psyche that nary conflict could extinguish," Cuomo said successful a statement, adding that "he ne'er forgot wherever helium came from."

Rangel, a seasoned of the Korean War, was a precocious schoolhouse dropout but yet went to assemblage connected the G.I. Bill, getting degrees from New York University and St. John's University Law School.

In 1970, helium defeated legendary Harlem person Adam Clayton Powell to commencement his legislature career. During the adjacent 40-plus years, helium became a fable himself — a founding subordinate of the Congressional Black Caucus, dean of the New York legislature delegation and, successful 2007, the archetypal Black seat of the influential Ways and Means Committee.

"I person ever been committed to warring for the small guy," Rangel said successful 2012.

Two years earlier, helium had stepped down from the Ways and Means Committee amid an morals cloud. The House would aboriginal censure him successful a 333-79 vote, citing astir a twelve morals violations that included breaching a gifts ban, improper usage of power and nonaccomplishment to disclose income.

After the censure, Rangel roseate earlier his colleagues successful sorrow.

"I cognize successful my bosom I americium not going to beryllium judged by this Congress," he said. "I'll beryllium judged by my beingness successful its entirety."

Rangel remained successful Congress and won the 2012 primary. His Harlem territory overwhelmingly voted him successful again arsenic Barack Obama won a 2nd statesmanlike term.

Despite the governmental stain aboriginal successful his career, his clip successful Congress was exceedingly busy.

According to the City College statement, Rangel sponsored 40 bills and resolutions that became law. His important legislative accomplishments see championing the nationalist Empowerment Zone program, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and the Affordable Care Act, which Obama signed into instrumentality successful 2010.

Rangel was president of the Ways and Means Committee erstwhile the Affordable Care Act was being heavy debated successful Congress, and helium was nether unit from the morals investigations.

In a 2009 interview with Time, helium was defiant erstwhile helium was asked astir his legacy.

"Well, arsenic Rhett Butler erstwhile said successful 'Gone With the Wind,' if I'm gone, rather frankly, I don't springiness a damn," helium told the magazine.

Rangel served successful Congress until 2017, erstwhile helium retired. He lamented to The New York Times successful 2016, erstwhile his eventual successor, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, was poised to go the archetypal Dominican American elected to Congress, that helium feared that meant his Harlem territory would nary longer person a Black representative.

"Can you archer the radical successful Boston that immoderate time you won't person an Irish congressman?" Rangel said.

Rangel was the past surviving subordinate of the alleged Gang of Four — a radical of Black governmental figures who wielded large powerfulness successful metropolis and authorities politics. The others were David Dinkins, New York's archetypal Black mayor; Percy Sutton, who was Manhattan Borough president; and Basil Paterson, a lawman politician and New York caput of state.

The Congressional Black Caucus said successful a connection Monday that its 61 members were mourning the nonaccomplishment of Rangel.

"His bequest is 1 of tireless advocacy, historical firsts, and dedication to justness and equality," the caucus said. "May helium remainder successful powerfulness and everlasting peace."

Rangel is preceded successful decease by his wife, Alma, a societal idiosyncratic whom helium met successful a Harlem ballroom successful the 1950s; she died successful 2024. The mates shared 2 children.