Formerly incarcerated lawyer Isaac Wright Jr. announces candidacy for NYC mayor
Wright is the man the ABC drama 'For Life' was based on
Issac Wright Jr. has officially entered the New York City mayoral race.
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According to his online bio, Wright is a native New Yorker, born into a military family and has lived in almost every borough. He is a practicing attorney, and an executive producer of the ABC drama series, For Life, which is inspired by his own story. In 1991, Wright was wrongfully convicted on drug charges and sentenced to life in prison. He studied law and crime while behind bars and proved his innocence in court, winning his freedom after serving seven years.
“I understood law enforcement in such a way that I was able to get a law enforcement officer, a veteran, to actually come clean and admit fault, even though he was facing prison time,” Wright said in a new interview with People announcing his candidacy. “The years of dealing with those issues allowed me to take that experience and individually turn an officer around. I think I could do the same thing with the NYPD.”
The outlet reported that while he understands his background is different than his opponents, Wright does not claim to be a “true activist.” He told People that friends and colleagues pushed him to run in past years, however, it finally feels right.
“Just a look at the face of the officer kneeling on George Floyd’s neck is indicative of the cause behind what he was doing,” Wright said. “His face showed no concern. There was absolutely not an iota of [comprehension of] what he was doing … But there’s a bigger picture: the true blame. The blame in totality should be put on the system.”
“This campaign is motivated by the voices of the citizens of New York City. We aim to give voters a greater choice, a stronger voice, increased representation and more opportunities for a sustainable way of life,” Wright said on his official campaign website.
Wright enters as a candidate prioritizing issues of economics, transit, homelessness, policing, school desegregation, and taxes, joining a growing list of hopeful successors to currently mayor Bill de Blasio.
As theGrio reports, when Ray McGuire announced his campaign, he joined a list of qualified professionals also seeking the office. City Comptroller Scott Stringer; Shaun Donovan, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Brooklyn councilman Carlos Menchaca; Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams; former nonprofit executive Dianne Morales; former sanitation commissioner Kathryn Garcia; former veteran affairs commissioner Loree Sutton and civil rights lawyer Maya Wiley are all currently expected to be in the running.
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According to Politico, former presidential candidate Andrew Yang is considering a run as well. The outlet reported a survey, but not one conducted on his behalf, listed several questions focused on his potential candidacy. Yang’s team also reportedly confirmed he weighed the option as recently as October.
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