Councilmember Erik Bottcher threw his hat into a crowded ring to compete for Rep. Jerry Nadler’s House seat, he said Thursday.

Nadler, 78, announced his retirement in September, leaving an opportunity for younger politicians vying for a shot. His Manhattan district, which spans from 14th Street to the top of Central Park, includes the Upper East and Upper West sides.

“I love my country and I love my city and I’m heartbroken and angry about what’s happening,” Bottcher told the Daily News. “We have a bully in the White House who is openly talking about tearing up the U.S. Constitution. I’m coming from a different place in this race, I’ve been taking on bullies my whole life.”

Bottcher said his background, including as growing up in the closet in a small town in the Adirondacks and be

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