Competing for the same City Council seat in Harlem, two candidates endorse each other

Assemblymember Al Taylor and political newcomer Yusef Salaam endorsed each other on Tuesday for the No. 2 spot in the increasingly competitive City Council race for the 9th District, as the runup to the Harlem election heats up in its most pivotal stretch.

Taylor and Salaam are vying for the Democratic nomination against Assemblymember Inez Dickens, a longtime fixture of Harlem’s political elite who has maintained her lead on high-profile political endorsements and funding.

Outside the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Community Center on Tuesday morning, Taylor and Salaam made their pitch to be voters’ No. 1 choice — while one endorsed the other as their pick for second-best in ranked choice voting.

“No, I do not want to lose to Brother Yusef,” Taylor said. “And neither does Brother Yusef want to lose to Al Taylor. But what we understand is that there is something that the two of us bring to this table that is uniquely gifted and talented.”

By cross-endorsing, each candidate encourages their supporters to rank the other candidate second. If one loses in the early rounds of ranked-choice voting, their votes go to the second-place pick.

The political gambit is a relatively new strategy under the voting system. The most notable example thus far was when former mayoral candidates Andrew Yang and Kathryn Garcia teamed up in the 2021 mayoral race. Garcia came within striking distance of defeating Mayor Eric Adams but ultimately lost by almost 9,000 votes in the final round.

The primary election is on June 27, but early voting begins on Saturday.

The race for the open 9th District seat is among the most watched this year as it is one of the most competitive and offers a unique look into the state of Harlem politics and the staying power of its ruling class. Taylor and Dickens are experienced Harlem politicians currently serving together in the Assembly. Salaam, a member of the exonerated Central Park Five, is a new entrant into city politics.

Salaam said voters should choose him over Dickens in the spirit of “passing the baton” to a new generation of Harlem leaders.

“I think about the opportunities that she has failed to bring forth even up until this day,” Salaam said of Dickens. “She could have done that a long time ago.”

Taylor refrained from criticizing Dickens, saying “it’s an open seat.”

Dickens’ campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.