There is exactly one week left until the June 26 Democratic primaries and the 13th Congressional District race is heating up for the stretch run. Here’s a rundown of all the latest news from the campaign trail.

Williams Nabs Big Daily Endorsements
Well-funded dark horse candidate Clyde Williams scored two huge newspaper endorsements over the past few days. Williams has watched as incumbent Charlie Rangel and State Senator Adriano Espaillat have rolled out endorsements after endorsement from politicians and labor groups and everyone in between. While careful not to disparage endorsements in general, Williams argued that most of those endorsements were the result of political machines trying to prop up the incumbent (Rangel) or usher in an entrenched ally (Espaillat). Now, Williams can claim to be the choice of two of the city’s major newspapers, which are (supposedly) unbiased or aligned with any political parties or clubs. (Espaillat, who received the endorsement of El Diario, said the Times got it wrong.)

On Saturday, the New York Times (which sadly said the district included the South Bronx, leading to disparaging comments and hair-pulling from northwest Bronx Times readers, they have since corrected the mistake) endorsed Williams’ candidacy, saying it is far past time to replace incumbent Charlie Rangel and that State Senator Adriano Espaillat needed to do a better job of reaching out to non-Hispanic constituents. Here’s what the Times has to say about Williams:

Clyde Williams, a dynamic former top official of the Democratic National Committee, moved to Harlem in 2001 to work with President Bill Clinton’s foundation and helped create a small business initiative. He understands the area’s diverse needs and has plans for job creation, education and tax reform.

The Daily News also endorsed Williams, but first underscored all of the reasons why Rangel shouldn’t continue in his position:

As a legislator, Rangel is a bare shadow of his former self, not least because fellow Democrats hold him responsible for tarnishing the brand before the Republicans’ takeover of the majority. Still worse, he has taken to equating the charges that were sustained against him as the equivalent of “spitting on the sidewalk.”

The DN praised Espaillat for being strong on immigration issues, but said his “field of vision is far too narrow for Washington.”

That leaves Williams, who gets points for his energy, job creation ideas and DC connections:

A bit of a wonk, he offers the strongest plans to help create new jobs in the district — including by attracting more tourists, creating multilingual call centers and expanding small business access to capital. All are good ideas that will require focused energy, a quality Williams displays in abundance.

The next day, Williams received the Times profile treatment, which focused, at least in the beginning, on Williams’ uphill battle against a perception that the race is only between Rangel and Espaillat. Some of other highlights:

• He got his start in politics working for DC Councilman John A. Wilson.

• Williams is counting on strong backing from Puerto Ricans in East Harlem and “residents of the mostly white enclave of Hudson Heights.”

• No slouch in the fundraising game, Williams is also getting help from a super PAC (Political Action Committee) funded heavily by an executive at Booz Allen Hamilton, a leading consulting firm. Booz Allen Hamilton also partnered with the Clinton Foundation, where Williams worked, to provide free consulting to Harlem businesses during Williams’ tenure with the foundation.

Espaillat’s Big Times Profile
Days after the Grey Lady endorsed Williams, they published this expansive profile of Espaillat, highlighting his hectic schedule and seemingly tireless work ethic. After describing a day in his life, bouncing between Albany and New York City, between his job as a legislator and his campaigning schedule, John Elgion writes: “It is this combustible pace that Mr. Espaillat, 57, has been trying to sell as his greatest advantage over the four-decade incumbent, Representative Charles B. Rangel, in next week’s Democratic primary for Congress.”

Other interesting tidbits from the Times piece:

• Rangel’s campaign manager Moises Perez accused Espaillat of labeling him and other Dominicans who don’t support his candidacy as “traitors.”

• Espaillat is now rejecting any aid from super PACs after earlier saying (to Norwood News reporter Ronald Chavez) he would accept help from a traditionally-conservative super PAC that wants to oust Rangel.

• Espaillat is apparently a descendant of “Ulises Francisco Espaillat, who held the presidency for about five months in 1876.”

• Despite his busy commuting schedule, he refuses to buy and EZ Pass.

Other News and Notes:

The NYC Campaign Finance Board released its Voter Guide, complete with links to find out your registration status, poll sites and candidates’ campaign websites.

The Post has a few specks of dirt to throw on Espaillat, saying a now defunct nonprofit he funded through Albany member items, Northern Manhattan Coalition for Economic Development, employed the state senator’s sister-in-law and his current chief of staff. Unlike some shady member item-funded nonprofits, however, looks like this group actually did work. Espaillat’s campaign says: everything’s on the up and up, nothing to see here, move along.

Rangel isn’t too worried about Espaillat or any of the other challengers he’s facing.

The latest fundraising numbers, from April 1 to June 6, show that Rangel ($290,000) raised just slightly more money than Espaillat ($270,000). Meanwhile, DNAinfo points out, Williams raised $73,000. During the first three months of the year, Williams had raised almost as much as Rangel and Espaillat combined, which leaves him $116,000 to spend down the stretch.

There are two other candidates in this race, Craig Schley and Joyce Johnson. They’re just not getting much ink.

Rangel, speaking at his new campaign headquarters in Washington Heights:

Finally, the Times’ Michael Powell says the competitive races going on in NY-13 and elsewhere in NYC is unusual and good for democracy: “We are deep into New York’s own curious Arab Spring, an almost disorienting outbreak of competitive democracy. Often a one-party town, New York will at least play host to three spirited and unusual congressional primaries on June 26.”

Go democracy! Go vote on June 26!