Candidates in the race for the 13th Congressional District seat, sprinting to secure votes ahead of the June primary, gathered to address community concerns in a debate framed as a town hall forum. Organized by the Muslim community, the forum featured two hours of outbursts, gang-ups, and comings and goings.

The crowded field of candidates, including Mike Gallagher, Clyde Williams, ambassador-at-large Suzan Johnson Cook, state Senator Adriano Espaillat, Sam Sloan, Adam Clayton Powell IV, state Assemblyman Keith Wright, and Yohanny Caceres, converged at the Sanctuary Grand Hall at 2773 Webster Ave. in Norwood to plead their stances at the event hosted by the Bangladeshi American Community Council on April 29.

The first half of the town hall, moderated by Daisy Khan, executive director of the Women’s Initiative on Spirituality and Equality, opened with a question regarding concerns that the American Muslim community is seen and judged through a “national security lens” rather than that of an immigrant community and how each candidate would combat this view.

All candidates agreed no one should be marginalized for their religion, while pledging to work to ensure that Muslims are granted the same basic protections as any other American, including the right of religious freedom.

Some candidates cast themselves as marginalized, while highlighting their past personal achievements. “I am a woman, an African-American woman in the United States, so I know what it means to be marginalized,” said Cook, who has previously served as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom.

Cook also cited her pledge to open a congressional office in the Bronx, which would be more accessible to the growing Bangladeshi community in the borough.

Espaillat also renewed his pledge to open a Bronx congressional office, a promise stemming from his unsuccessful bid for the seat in 2014.

The discussion then prompted questions regarding unlawful surveillance of mosques by the FBI, and whether each candidate would defund the agency.

While no candidate committed to take such action, all stressed that they would hold the FBI accountable to federal laws.

“The government has the responsibility to protect its citizens and that’s what they should do. But nobody should be singled out because of their race or ethnicity or because of their religion. That is wrong,” said Williams, whose 2012 congressional bid garnered high profile support, including endorsements from the Daily News and New York Times, though not enough to secure the seat.

After a brief intermission, the panel was later joined by Sloan and Caceres who demanded to know which candidate was working to push her off the ticket to make themselves known to her, to which no one replied. “I would like to challenge one of those guys to stand up and say it in front of my face who is the one that is going behind [my back],” said Caceres.

Caceres then declined to answer any questions citing that she was unprepared.

Sloan opened up with a personal tale about the kidnapping of his Muslim daughter by “hillbillies in Virginia” who wanted to raise her as a Christian.

While the first half of the town hall focused on issues faced by the Muslim community, the second half focused on broader topics including failing public schools, veteran benefit cuts, and growing concerns about gentrification in the Bronx, and New York City overall.

Wright, who has received endorsements from incumbent Charles Rangel, the Bronx Democratic party, and various labor unions, was grilled by an audience member about his acceptance of campaign funds from various real estate developers. Wright said he is committed to fighting unjust landlords. Wright cited a win in his own personal lawsuit against a landlord who was overcharging him rent and a plan to create more moderate and low-income housing.

But other candidates at the forum were not convinced of Wright’s commitment to affordable housing in New York City.

“Rents have gone up… and that’s because of people like him and others who have failed to do their jobs, that are more concerned about taking money from special interest groups in order to fund their campaigns than they are about your concerns,” said Williams referring to Wright.

The 13th Congressional district primary is scheduled for June 28.