12 Facts About Edolphus Towns

Edolphus Towns graduated from West Side High School, Chadbourn, North Carolina in 1952.

Edolphus Towns was an administrator at Beth Israel Medical Center, a professor at New York's Medgar Evers College and Fordham University, and a public school teacher teaching orientation and mobility to blind students.

From 1996 to 1998, Edolphus Towns was in a rivalry with Brooklyn Democratic Party Chairman Clarence Norman.

In 2006, Edolphus Towns faced Democratic primary challenges from Charles Barron, a member of the New York City Council, and Roger Green, a former member of the New York State Assembly.

Powell criticized Edolphus Towns for supporting Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primaries.

Edolphus Towns served on the Energy and Commerce Committee and is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Edolphus Towns had been targeted by various Democratic Party constituencies, including factions led by his political rival Al Sharpton, and national and local labor unions, who resent his support for passage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement, which passed the House of Representatives by a razor-thin margin.

Edolphus Towns put particular emphasis on arguing in behalf of underserved Brooklyn communities, and has won recognition from several organizations for his efforts.

Edolphus Towns reportedly withdrew due to lack of support from Nancy Pelosi, who reportedly feared Edolphus Towns would not be a sufficiently aggressive leader in an anticipated struggle with incoming committee chair Darrell Issa.

Edolphus Towns's successor is Elijah Cummings, who defeated Carolyn Maloney in a vote of the House Democratic Caucus.

Edolphus Towns's district had been renumbered as the 8th district in redistricting and had a significant increase of white voters, though it still had a large black majority.

Edolphus Towns is married to the former Gwendolyn Forbes and they reside in the Cypress Hills section of Brooklyn.