Two candidates are running in the Democratic Primary for the congressional seat, held by U.S. Rep. Ed Towns.
Charles Barron
A former Black Panther, Charles Barron has been a city councilman since 2001, representing parts of Canarsie and East New York in Brooklyn. Barron has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Hunter College and sits on the City Council’s education, immigration and women’s issues committees. He founded the National Black United Front’s Harlem chapter in 1979 and continues to be a vocal activist for black equality. Barron has been endorsed by U.S. Rep. Ed Towns, who is retiring.
Hakeem Jeffries
State Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries has represented the Fort Greene, Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant areas of Brooklyn since 2007. He has championed reforms to the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policy and pushed legislation to provide more affordable housing. A Crown Heights resident, he graduated magna cum laude from New York University Law School and has clerked for federal Judge Harold Baer. He also has a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University.
