Rep. Charles Rangel promised his endorsement to C. Virginia Fields yesterday morning when he made a surprise appearance at her Women for Fields Kickoff Mayoral Breakfast in Midtown.

“We politicians don’t do things right away. We talk with the candidate and try to find out when is the best time for a formal endorsement, but I could not resist coming here to thank all of you for having the common sense and the knowledge to know that when it comes to a candidate for mayor of this great city there’s no one that exceeds the ability and experience of C. Virginia Fields,” Mr. Rangel said, to huge applause.

“Some people might say that no one can beat the mayor,” he said. “But I can tell you this: If you see the track that Bush and Cheney have followed, if you’ve seen the war, the cutbacks in services in this administration in Washington, then you would have to agree with me that anyone who supports that administration should not be running our city.”

Mr. Rangel is expected to make his formal endorsement Sunday.

Ms. Fields, who is rapidly gaining ground against her leading Democratic rival, Fernando Ferrer, said she was happy to receive Mr. Rangel’s endorsement, which went to Mr. Ferrer in 2001.

“I receive it. I am so happy to receive it. I am honored to be endorsed by the congressman,” she told reporters.

As if Mr. Rangel message weren’t clear enough, his wife, Alma Rangel, gave the Manhattan borough president an extra boost in her introduction yesterday.

“I have supported Virginia in every one of her four elections for the last 16 years,” she told the crowd of 500.”I and we, all Manhattan residents, are blessed and fortunate to have Virginia’s vision, her dedication, and her courage. Soon, all New Yorkers will be fortunate to call her their mayor. Today I support, I endorse, Virginia Fields.”

A spokesman for the Ferrer campaign, Chad Clanton, said: “Mr. Ferrer has great admiration for Congressman Rangel and his wife. We’re going to keep working to earn the support of every New Yorker we can, and share Fernando Ferrer’s vision of making New York City a city that works better for everyone.”

About three-quarters of the people who attended the fund-raising event, which was said to have brought in about $250,000, were women. Among them were a former ambassador to Norway, Robin Chandler Duke, and the national chairman of the Kerry-Edwards Campaign, Jeanne Shaheen, former governor of New Hampshire.

Ms. Shaheen, who met Ms. Fields during the 2004 presidential campaign, spoke about the importance of electing more women to office – particularly to executive posts.

“Women’s collective power creates change,” she said. “When a critical mass of women is present … the discussion at the table changes.”