Assembly Member Keith Wright may be on his way to succeeding Assembly Member Herman D. Farrell as one of the major powers in Harlem politics.

After 16 years in the Assembly, Keith Wright (D-Manhattan) says he is starting to feel like the senior legislators he knew back in his freshman year in Albany.

“Some of the younger members look to you for guidance,” Wright said. “I guess I have become one of those people now.”

Of the older Assembly members who gave him guidance, Wright said, only Assembly Member Herman “Denny” Farrell (D-Manhattan) remains.

Farrell, the chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, is planning an end to his 34-year career in Albany by running for Council Member Robert Jackson's (D-Manhattan) term-limited seat next year.

But that is not the only change on the horizon. Farrell, who quit as chairman of the State Democratic Party in 2006, will be required to give up the chairmanship of the Manhattan Democratic Party if and when he is sworn in to the Council, according to Conflict of Interest Board rules.

While Wright has been coy about running to succeed Farrell as chair, he is actively seeking the position, according to Harlem district leader Theresa Freeman.

The move would be a demonstration of Wright's rising stock in local politics, after years of moving through the ranks in the Assembly and an unsuccessful bid for Manhattan borough president in 2005.

Assembly Member Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan), who also was a candidate in the 2005 borough president race, is reportedly looking at the county chair job, as is Marc Landis, a West Side district leader who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in the 2006 special election which sent Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan) to Albany.

Wright said there is no campaign for county chair so long as Farrell remains in the position, and time will tell what will happen when a vacancy occurs. But he said the county chair's power in nominating judges to the New York Supreme Court has piqued his interest.

“New York County has the best judicial selection process in the country,” Wright said. “Helping keep good judges on the bench—I'd be intrigued in doing.”

Wright's family is active in the judicial branch: his father was on the Supreme Court for 30 years and his brother is an acting Supreme Court judge.

“I embarrassed my family by going into politics,” Wright joked.

Wright said he believes his diverse Harlem district, which includes blacks, Hispanics and whites, makes him an ideal candidate for county chair.

“I serve everybody,” he said. “I have a cross-section of New York in my district.”

His long-time relationship with Farrell, a fellow Harlem politician—“He represents my mother,” Wright noted—has made him the presumed frontrunner for the position.

“We have a lot of issues in common and a lot of people in common,” Wright said.
Freeman, the Harlem district leader who volunteers at Wright's office, said Wright’s geniality with county leaders and his outspoken attitude qualifies him to succeed Farrell.

“The county has been run very well by Farrell. I think Keith Wright can continue that religiously,” Freeman said. “He's listened to people whether or not he agrees with their decisions. That's what I like about him.”

Wright, whose career spans four New York governors, has shown his willingness to tussle with those he disagrees with, regardless of party. He was one of former Gov. Eliot Spitzer's earliest Democratic critics after he removed Wright as chair of the Harlem Community Development Corporation.

As Wright's career in Albany progressed, he received more responsibility. Once the chair of the Elections Committee, he was picked last year to head the Social Services Committee—a post he said he never pursued.

As the Social Services Committee's chair, Wright said he witnessed the result of public assistance in his district first-hand.

“I've been unemployed twice in my life. I used to drive a taxi cab. All of these things bring in life experience, which has helped me become a good chair of the Social Services Committee,” Wright said.

Wright said that the switch between two relatively unrelated committees has been a good test run for any veteran of the Assembly, such as himself, who wants to chair the Ways and Means Committee, should Farrell win the City Council race and move out of the Assembly.

“Who wouldn't be interested?” Wright said of the chairmanship. “This is part of the natural evolution of folks being in public life for 20 or 30 years.”

He said the same thing about running for Rep. Charles Rangel’s (D-Manhattan/Bronx) seat, though Wright noted, “Charlie has at least 20 good years ahead of him.”

Rangel is 77 years old, but has shown no signs of slowing, especially with his long-awaited chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee and active advocacy on behalf of Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign keeping him busy.

Wright's increased stature in the neighborhood and beyond—and potentially getting county chair—could put him in a stronger position for the congressional seat or other opportunities that arise.
One office he says he will not run for again is Manhattan borough president, saying his interest in the position has waned since 2005.

Whatever may be ahead, for now his plan is to continue building seniority in the Assembly, enabling him to deliver more money and services to his district.

But Wright said he is keeping his options open concerning his future in the Assembly.

 In Albany, Wright said, nothing is permanent but change. While he has no definite plans outside of the county chairmanship, he is prepared nonetheless, he said.

“Albany,” he said, “is a fabulous training ground to handle whatever life throws at you.”