Political Career
Powell joined the Democratic Party in 1989 and ran successfully for the New York City Council in 1991. In 1994, Powell challenged Representative Charles B. Rangel for his seat in the United States House of Representatives, but lost. In 1997, he ran for Manhattan borough president, lost again, and moved back to Puerto Rico.
For the next three years, Powell worked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and managed his properties in Puerto Rico. There, he participated in the Vieques protests, which demanded the departure of the U.S. Navy from that island. He was briefly married to Andrea Dial, a former Ebony fashion fair model. They had a son, Adam Clayton Powell V, before divorcing in the mid-1990s.
After his return to New York and election to the state legislature, Powell was credited with passing the law known as SCRIE (Senior Citizens Rent Increase Exemption), which exempts seniors from paying any rent increases. In 2007, Powell was in Albany for 90% of the legislative session. In 2009, he attended 78.3% of the legislative sessions.
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