From The FrontrunerThe New York Times (4/28, B5, Hicks) says Kevin Powell (D), an activist, writer and lecturer, announced on Sunday his bid to challenge 13-term Rep. Edolphus Towns (D) for the Democratic nomination, "calling the congressman invisible and ineffective." Powell said Town has "missed nearly 1,000 votes in Congress since 1993," he "hasn't held any major discussions about affordable housing or the mortgage crisis," and he "hasn't been heard of on any of the major health issues of the day," noting that Brooklyn "has one of the highest rates of H.I.V. and asthma." Powell, who is 42, "says he hopes to tap into the support of young and new voters, following the course set by Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, whom he supports as the Democratic candidate for the White House. (Mr. Towns is a superdelegate pledged to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.)" Towns, who narrowly won re-election in 2006, downplayed Powell as a newcomer who is little known by residents. Powell saisd, “I’m running because I’ve been a community organizer and not someone who’s been sitting behind a desk,” Mr. Powell said in an interview after his announcement at a restaurant in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. “I’ve lived in and have been involved in this district for 18 years. Mr. Powell, who is a former cast member of “The Real World” on MTV, said that the congressman’s electoral troubles two years ago were a reflection of his job performance.