Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., center, raises his arms with Adam Clinton Powell IV, left, as he claims victory over opponent state Sen. Adriano Espaillat during a primary election night gathering on Tuesday, June 24, 2014, in New York.
New York state senator Adriano Espaillat, center, declares his race with long-time Congressman Charles Rangel too close to call in the Democratic primary for the 13th Congressional District on Tuesday, June 24, 2014, in New York.NEW YORK – The bitterly fought Democratic primary race between U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel and his challenger state Sen. Adriano Espaillat was too close to call early Wednesday despite a late-night declaration of victory by the 22-term congressman.
With 99 percent of the vote counted in unofficial results, Rangel led Espaillat 47.4 percent to 43.7 percent, a difference of fewer than 2,000 votes from about 47,000 votes counted on Tuesday.
The Associated Press was not declaring a winner because the city Board of Elections was unable to say how many absentee and affidavit ballots were outstanding. The board said no further information on those ballots would be immediately released.
The counting of those paper ballots can take up to two weeks. The process was to begin later Wednesday.
The uncertainty provided a fittingly bizarre conclusion to a drama-filled race.