Inez Dickens comes from a long line of dedicated public servants working for Harlem and has herself worked in politics for nearly 50 years. Since 2017, she has served as the Assembly Member for District 70, which overlaps with this council district, and for the 11 years before that, she held the City Council seat she is now seeking. Dickens says she is doing so after community members approached her, upset about the survival of the community following Covid and issues with the incumbent member. If elected, Dickens would prioritize creating affordable housing through income-targeted development, strengthening small businesses as well as improving education and sanitation. Dickens has been part of leadership on the Council and the Assembly, and currently serves as Deputy Majority Leader, and this political prowess means that she is well positioned to bring deliverables to Harlem. She is not as focused on reform issues, although she has occasionally worked on CU priorities; she currently co-sponsors a bill to facilitate absentee voting in cases of illness and was behind Council legislation to expand annual disclosure reporting requirements. She disagreed with several of Citizens Union’s reform priorities, including on an empowered Civilian Complaint Review Board, and most importantly, she voiced strong opposition to ranked-choice voting. However, she stated she would not attempt to repeal it if elected and appeared open to further discussion on the topic. Citizens Union appreciates Dickens’ continued dedication to public service and her desire to leverage her experience to improve the lives of her community. 

Yusef Salaam is best known for his unjust arrest and subsequent conviction for rape and assault in the infamous Central Park Five case, now known as the Exonerated Five. After serving seven years in prison for a crime he did not commit, his sentence was overturned. Since then, Salaam has written a book about his experience and works as a motivational speaker and activist fighting for police reform and against mass incarceration. He currently serves on the board of The Innocence Project and founded Justice 4 the Wrongfully Incarcerated. If elected, Salaam’s priority issues include building affordable housing, expanding health services, improving education, and tackling public safety issues through leveraging mental health resources. Salaam supports all of CU’s reform priorities in the candidate questionnaire–though he did not offer specifics–and has an extensive history advocating for police reform. Citizens Union believes that Salaam’s high profile and energy would give him a greater voice on the Council than other rank-and-file freshmen.

Al Taylor has represented the 71st Assembly District – covering parts of Hamilton Heights, Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood – since being elected in a 2017 special election to replace Denny Farrell, the powerful Assembly lawmaker. Prior to this, Taylor was Farrell’s longtime Chief of Staff, a District Leader, a minister, and a community advocate. While serving in the Assembly, Taylor has sponsored and passed several election and police reforms, including moving up the absentee ballot application date, requiring more early voting sites and extending their hours, and establishing a law enforcement misconduct investigative office under the AG. His legislative record also includes votes against abortion protection measures, although he has since said he has come around to support access to reproductive healthcare. A former Board of Election officer, Taylor told CU that the NYC Board of Elections needs to become less politicized and that clear benchmarks for hiring and managing are needed at the Board. He agreed with most CU issues on the candidate questionnaire and voiced strong support for ranked-choice voting. If elected, Taylor’s priorities include subsidizing affordable housing development, increasing education funding, and improving public safety while reducing overspending in the NYPD. Citizens Union was impressed by Taylor’s support for and track record on improving election operations and addressing police accountability and believes he can bring together stakeholders to discuss important housing concerns for this district.