Exonerated ‘Central Park Five’ member triumphs in NYC Council primary after 7-year wrongful imprisonment.

Yusef Salaam, One of the Exonerated “Central Park Five,” Wins Democratic Primary

NEW YORK—In a remarkable turn of events, Yusef Salaam, a political novice and one of the wrongly accused “Central Park Five,” has emerged victorious in the Democratic primary for a seat on the New York City Council. This win all but guarantees his eventual triumph. As a teenager, Salaam was falsely convicted and imprisoned for the rape and beating of a jogger in Central Park.

The Associated Press refrained from declaring the winner on election night, but the released vote tallies on Wednesday made it clear that Salaam had secured the victory to represent Central Harlem. It is highly unlikely that he will face any significant challenge in the general election in November.

A New Harlem Renaissance

Salaam believes it is time for “a new Harlem renaissance.”

“To have a voice from a person who’s been pushed into the margins of life—someone who has actually been one of those who has been counted out—is finally having a seat at the table,” Mr. Salaam said in an interview on Wednesday.

“Harlem is such a special place that it is known as the Black Mecca,” he added. “What happens in Harlem reverberates around the world.”

Back in 1989, Salaam and four other black and Latino teens from Harlem were infamously labeled the Central Park Five after their arrest for a high-profile rape case. He spent nearly seven years behind bars before DNA evidence exonerated the group.

In his first foray into public office, Salaam’s outsider campaign triumphed over two seasoned politicians—New York Assembly members Inez Dickens, 73, and Al Taylor, 65. Although the incumbent council member, Democratic socialist Kristin Richardson Jordan, dropped out of the race in May, she remained on the ballot.

On election night, Salaam declared victory with a vote tally just surpassing 50 percent, even though there were still some absentee ballots to be counted. However, his lead over Dickens, his closest competitor, appeared insurmountable, leading both Dickens and Taylor to concede. New York City is now eagerly awaiting the arrival of a fresh voice in its political landscape.