(nyt) A 40-year-old challenger wages a grass-roots Democratic primary campaign against a popular Harlem congressman who has been entrenched for decades and for whom he once worked. The upstart says the incumbent, who has been dogged by a Congressional ethics investigation, is “still living in the realm of his past accomplishments” and that distractions have left the 15th District “unrepresented.” Sound familiar? It would, perhaps painfully so, to Representative Charles B. Rangel. In 1970, that same scenario ended with Mr. Rangel’s stunning primary upset of Representative Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Now another upstart is borrowing a page from Mr. Rangel’s playbook. “I have a lot of personal admiration for Mr. Rangel,” said that challenger, Vincent Scott Morgan, a banker, who once worked for the congressman. “I think, though, that he’s grown more and more out of touch with the needs of the district. He’s had a great run, but it’s time for folks of this district to have an alternative.” Mr. Morgan faces a far steeper climb than his former boss did. Unlike Mr. Morgan, Mr. Rangel was an elected official — a two-term state assemblyman — when he challenged Mr. Powell, and he enjoyed the support of powerful Harlem elected officials — support he still commands. Mr. Rangel’s campaign treasury is also much bigger. As of Dec. 31, Mr. Rangel had 0,000 on hand. Mr. Morgan reported ,000 in receipts, including a ,000 loan to his own campaign, but he said that since the reporting period had ended his total had swelled to about ,000.

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