That voter fraud and other shenanigans might have taken place in the
district which stretches from Harlem to The Bronx will surprise no one
familiar with the grand traditions of New York politics. Nor is there
anything particularly innovative about the allies of an establishment
figure like Rangel working within the system to make it more difficult
for a challenger to take him on.

Given the way these things generally work in New York, we may never
know whether Espaillat actually beat Rangel. Nor can we be sure whether
the voters allegedly turned away at the polls were really ineligible (in
which case Espaillat’s camp was trying to game the results). But what
we do know is that wherever politicians and their friends are tempted to
cheat, that is exactly what they will do. The stakes involved in such
races are high, and anyone who assumes Rangel or any other entrenched
officeholder will not stoop to twist, bend or otherwise mutilate the
results in order to hang on knows nothing about American political
history or politicians.

Full piece by Jonathan Tobin @ Commentary Magazine.