“Rangel pissed off his largely pro-Obama constituency by backing Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary” — from “Model Opponent: Anti-Rangel Feeling Wrangles and Opponent” by Maria Luisa Tucker Village Voice-8/27/08
Total for 15th Congressional District-New York County
HILLARY CLINTON 60,573 (52.65%)
BILL RICHARDSON 119
JOE BIDEN 69
JOHN EDWARDS 782
BARACK OBAMA 53,165 (46.21%)
DENNIS J KUCINICH 336
Total Votes 115,044
“Craig Schley, an activist and former male model, found 5,580 people in the last month who want Rangel out of office and were willing to sign the petitions he needs to become an independent candidate for the congressman's seat. He filed those petitions with the Federal Election Commission last week.”–same article
It probably would help if he filed them with the NYC Board of Elections instead.