After his wrongful conviction as one of the Central Park Five was overturned, Mr. Salaam found it hard to rebuild his life. Now he stands to take office next year.
Primaries were being contested Tuesday for a range of New York City Council seats, district attorneys in the Bronx and Queens, and offices throughout New York State.
Three moderate Democrats are running to replace Kristin Richardson Jordan, one of the city’s most left-leaning politicians, who is not seeking re-election.
Yusef Salaam, one of the wrongly imprisoned Central Park Five, is running in a competitive City Council race in Harlem. He described the former president’s indictment as “karma.”
A developer wanted to build residential towers, and a city councilwoman feared they would accelerate gentrification. Their fight reflects the challenge of building housing in New York.