Robert Jackson Lands Endorsements In Uptown Race As Sides Form

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Rounding out a major week in the pushed-back primary to represent uptown's 31st District in the State Senate, incumbent Robert Jackson announced a slew of major endorsements on Tuesday — a day after his challenger announced the backing of Rep. Adriano Espaillat.

On Monday, Angel Vasquez announced the endorsement of Espaillat. Hours later, Jackson announced he would be having an event on Tuesday with former Congress Member Charlie Rangel, Assembly Member Jose Rivera, and other elected officals.

Jackson has represented the district that covers the majority of Washington Heights and the entirety of Inwood since 2018.

In an event held in the Bronx on Tuesday, Jackson announced that Rangel, Rivera, and State Senators Cordell Cleare, Al Taylor, and Eddie Gibbs would all be endorsing him.

“I'm honored to receive the endorsements from these leaders who have been on the forefront of the fight for education, safety, and justice,” Jackson said at the event. “These are not just names on a paper. They are leaders who live here, represent the most impacted communities, and are committed to working hard to win this campaign and continue the work we are doing."

The endorsements announced join a long list of other elected officials that have voiced their support of Jackson in the upcoming race, including Council Member Gale Brewer, Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal, and State Senators Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Jamaal Bailey, Alessandra Biaggi, Jose Serrano, Gustavo Rivera, Jon Liu, Brad Hoylman, Julia Salazar, and Jessica Ramos.

Jackson has also been endorsed by a lengthy list of unions that Patch will detail closer to the election.

He's not the only candidate landing endorsements, though.

Espaillat endorsing Vasquez came on the heels of Council Members Shaun Abreu, Carmen De La Rosa, Eric Dinowitz, and Oswald Feliz also throwing their support behind the first-time candidate last week.

The History Between The People Involved

There's quite the history between Jackson and a collection of the names involved in this year's election.

Jackson served as the uptown District 7 Council Member from 2001 to 2013, before being term-limited out.

After coming in third place in a bid for Manhattan Borough President that same year, Jackson turned his attention to the State Senate.

This is where influential characters in the upcoming State Senate race crossed paths for the first time competitively.

Jackson ran for the State Senate District 31 seat for the first time in 2014 against Espaillat, the incumbent at the time — who had been in the position since 2010.

Espaillat ended up fending off Jackson — but it was close — with the current Congressman winning with 50 percent of the vote to Jackson's 43 percent.

Two years later in 2016, Espaillat decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives to replace the retiring Rangel (who endorsed Jackson Tuesday), thus vacating the uptown State Senate seat.

Jackson chose to run again for the position, this time against the Espaillat-backed Marisol Alcantara and another competitive candidate, Micah Lasher.

The race was even tighter this time, with Jackson ending in third place.

• Alcantara: 33 percent
• Lasher: 31 percent
• Jackson: 30 percent

Alcantara was not able to hold onto the seat for long, though.

Also, importantly during this period, Vasquez, who is now running against Jackson, becomes the chief of staff for Alcantara in 2017.

In 2018, Jackson again challenges for the seat against Alcantara, and defeats her relatively comfortably.

Jackson won with 56 percent of the vote to Alcantara's 39 percent.

Part of the explanation for Alcantara's loss in 2018 can be attributed to her decision to join the Independent Democratic Conference shortly after she was elected to the Upper Manhattan seat, which was a group of state senate Democrats that allied with the Senate Republications, allowing the party to control the chamber.

Jackson will now be the one challenged in August by Vasquez.

The challenge comes along with a change to the district maps, which will mean the State Senate 31st District will include more of the Bronx and less of the Upper West Side and Hell's Kitchen.

Only time will tell how it plays out.