Under Pressure, Keith Wright Leaves Assembly Speaker Race

Less than 12 hours after announcing he would campaign to replace Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Assemblyman Keith Wright abruptly dropped out of the race.

With Mayor Bill de Blasio supporting Bronx Assemblyman Carl Heastie behind the scenes and Gov. Andrew Cuomo actively pushing for Assembly Majority Leader Joe Morelle, who will serve as interim speaker until a Feb. 10 vote, Wright struggled to gain traction, a knowledgeable source told City & State. Both Wright and Heastie are African American, which played a role in the pressure on Wright to step aside, the source added. 

"The city people are listening to Cuomo and de Blasio—two white guys are telling us what to do,” said the source, who had supported Wright's candidacy.

The source said that Wright was told he could not divide support in the black and Puerto Rican caucus. The decision was so sudden, two other sources close to Wright said they had no inkling of the reasoning of why he quickly dropped. Both had spoken with him not long before he issued a statement announcing his decision, and were surprised by how swiftly it came and his open support for Heastie. Another source who advised Wright was also surprised by the news. 

Another factor is Wright's recent announcement that he would run for the seat of Rep. Charles Rangel, a longtime ally who plans to retire in two years. The Daily News reported that Wright was in discussions with Heastie, the chair of the Bronx Democratic Party, about stepping aside to secure the support of his Assembly colleague and the Bronx delegation in his 2016 congressional bid. The congressional district includes a portion of the Bronx.

Wright's press release, sent out after 6 p.m. on Wednesday, said that he would drop out and support Heastie for the speakership. Silver, the embattled speaker who is facing corruption charges, is white, while Heastie would be the first African American to fill the role should he garner enough support among his Assembly colleagues.

“Throughout my time of service in this Assembly, I have come to know Carl as an exceptionally effective legislator. He leads by building consensus, listening to good ideas and serving all New Yorkers,” Wright said in a statement. “As our chamber's next Speaker, Carl Heastie will re-energize our institution by ushering in the bold reforms we need to make our role in government more transparent and more accountable to the voters.”

Morelle, who represents constituents in the Rochester area, was in New York City Wednesday night to appear on the political news show Inside City Hall, a move some observers saw as the beginning of his campaign and maneuvering for the speakership.

With Wright out of the race, Morelle and Heastie—the two apparent frontrunners—would present members with one candidate who is from upstate and another from downstate. If Wright had run, it could have divided downstate support.

Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan and Assemblyman Joe Lentol also officially announced on Wednesday that they will campaign for the speakership, but do not have the heavyweight support enjoyed by Morelle and Heastie.