KRJ Refuses Harlem Election Forum Invite Over 'Mean Spirited' Politics

HARLEM, NY — A Harlem politician running for re-election this summer has turned down an invitation to participate in a candidate forum later this month due to what she says is a "mean spirited" environment, emails shared with Patch show.

Council Member Kristin Richardson Jordan is in her first term representing District 9, however, she will have to defend her seat this June after just two years in office against a strong-line up of new Democratic candidates.

The Greater Harlem Coalition, a Harlem equity advocacy organization, will host a candidate forum for the race on April 27 — and while Jordan's three Democratic challengers will participate — she has declined the invitation.

"Given the incredibly short term and the amount of work there is to do, my focus in (is on) the work and connecting directly with the community," Jordan wrote in an email response to the Greater Harlem Coalition shared with Patch by both parties. "I am not interested in playing politics at a candidate's forum when the environment is so clearly mean-spirited."

Patch asked Jordan to elaborate on why she thought the candidate forum was "so clearly mean-spirited."

She responded — "We all know what it is."

The Council member did not further elucidate her reasoning, but it is worth noting all three other candidates have either criticized her handling of the One45 Development or said they would have supported it last year.

The developer of the project recently reintroduced plans for the two-tower development with added affordable housing from its first rendition.

Jordan added in her email response to the Greater Harlem Coalition, with the subject line of "connecting instead of fighting (my response)," that she was "always" around for constituents who want updates, and had previously suggested doing a year-in-review town hall event specifically with the chamber of commerce.

She also mentioned that she would have her monthly town hall on April 17 and hosts open office hours on Thursdays along with multiple task forces open to the Harlem community.

Specifically, Jordan will host her State of the District on Housing on April 17 that is open to the public, and also will participate in a town hall on April 20 at the Kennedy Center at 34 W. 134th St.

It is also worth noting that the Greater Harlem Coalition and Jordan have worked together in the past, including on a task force related to finding solutions for those struggling with addiction in Harlem.

The Greater Harlem Coalition told Patch that the group first invited Jordan to the forum at the end of February, but didn't hear back for two months until the other candidates Assembly members Al Taylor and Inez Dickens, along with Yusef Salaam, confirmed they would be attending.

Email invites sent on Feb. 28 to members of Jordan's staff were shared with Patch.

On the forum's event page, the description contains the following message about Jordan's absence.

"Many of you have asked, the incumbent City Council Member Kristin Jordan has declined to join the candidate's forum."

Stanley Mclntosh, a resident of Harlem's District 9 and the president of the Neighbors United of West 132nd Street Block Association, urged Jordan to reconsider her participation in the forum.

"These forums become the closest thing that the electorate can use to pose questions to prospective candidates as well as the incumbent," Mclntosh wrote in an email sent to Jordan and shared with Patch. "The forum (last election cycle) was not used to attack anyone, especially the incumbent at the time."

"However, you work for and was chosen by the people," he continued. "No one suggests that politics is a nice affair where people just sit in a dining room discussing the issues while enjoying tea, cookies and/or bourbon."

"You should be able to present yourself in a venue developed by the electorate in order to answer questions," he added.

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