The Amsterdam News, the nation’s oldest continuously published black newspaper, has weighed in with the first newspaper endorsement of the AG’s race, backing Sen. Eric Schneiderman to succeed Andrew Cuomo has New York’s top attorney.

The editorial board has good things to say about all five Democratic AG contenders, but decided to go with the Manhattan lawmaker because “(he) has been a stalwart defender of the rights for our community.”

“As attorney general, Schneiderman says he will to bring real reform to the state. One of these reforms is an innocence unit within the criminal division that, when appropriate, will examine prior convictions to ensure that justice is done,” the editorial states.

“He will work to protect the environment and make sure that our water is safe, starting with preventing dangerous gas drilling upstate until the methods are proven safe. He will endeavor to protect the people of the state by reforming unfair market practices in the financial sector while, at the same time, ensuring faith in our own public sector.”

“His agenda is too numerous to go into in its entirety, but it is aggressive and ambitious. If anyone can accomplish these goals, it is Eric Schneiderman, and that is why the New York Amsterdam News endorses him for attorney general.”

With the absence of any candidate of color in the AG’s race, Schneiderman has been trying to position himself as the clear choice for Latino and black voters, stressing in particular his efforts on behalf of Rockefeller Drug Law reform and sponsorship of a controversial measure that will count prisoners at their last address for the purposes of legislative redistricting and not whever they’re incarcerated.

The Amsterdam News nod is a good validator for Schneiderman, but I’m not sure how much impact it will have in the upcoming primary (recall that the paper also backed then-Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi against then-AG Eliot Spitzer in 2006, and that didn’t stop Spitzer from winning in a landslide).

The big kahuna of newspaper endorsements in this race is arguably the Times, over which the candidates are no doubt fighting hard, since its editorial page is well read by the sort of voter who tends to turn out in Democratic primaries.

The Amsterdam News also endorsed Reps. Charlie Rangel (“recent events” have “stopped him from continuing his legacy of commitment and work toward helping his beloved New York”), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and Rep. Ed Towns.

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