Endorsements in the 2023 Democratic primary for City Council District 9

The New York City Council race in Harlem was already heated. Then City Council Member Kristin Richardson Jordan said she wouldn’t seek reelection after all. And the gloves have come off in the race for the open seat, with opposition research and criticism flying among Assembly Members Inez Dickens and Al Taylor and criminal justice advocate Yusef Salaam, who was one of the wrongly convicted Central Park 5. 

Check out who’s backing whom in the race ahead of Election Day on June 27. This post was originally written on June 16. It was last updated June 21.

INEZ DICKENS, ASSEMBLY MEMBER, 70th DISTRICT

Organizations: United Federation of Teachers, Correction Officers Benevolent Association, 504 Democratic Club, Arturo Schomburg Democratic Club, The Greater Harlem Coalition, Harlem Neighborhood Block Association, Harlem East Block Association, Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, Martin Luther King, Jr. Club, The New Majority NYC, Nuevo Caribe Democratic Club

Elected officials: New York City Mayor Eric Adams, former Gov. David Paterson, former state Comptroller H. Carl McCall, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, former Rep. Charlie Rangel, New York City Council Members Shaun Abreu, Diana Ayala and Carmen De La Rosa, District Leaders William Smith, Harry Rodriguez, Peggy Morales and Sharase DeBouse

Other public figures: New York NAACP President Hazel Dukes; anti-violence advocates Jackie Rowe-Adams and Gwen Carr; Dominique and Ashley Sharpton of the National Action Network; Melba Wilson, President of the New York Hospitality Alliance and owner of Melba’s restaurant

YUSEF SALAAM, ACTIVIST AND CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCATE

Organizations: Emgage PAC, Krimson PAC, Muslim Democratic Club of New York, Open New York, Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City

Elected officials: Assembly Member Al Taylor (ranked-choice voting cross endorsement), Manhattan Party Boss and former Assembly Member Keith Wright, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Former Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields, Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell; Democratic District Leader William Allen, Wilma Brown-Phillips and Paula Diamond Román

Other public figures: Cornel West

AL TAYLOR, ASSEMBLY MEMBER, 71st DISTRICT

Organizations: New York City District Council of Carpenters, Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1 and Local 7

Elected officials: State Sen. Cordell Cleare, Assembly Member Eddie Gibbs 

Other public figures: Yusef Salaam (ranked-choice voting cross endorsement), former 32BJ SEIU President Kyle Bragg