Washington Heights Pol Debating Harlem City Council Run: Report

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — A Washington Heights politician is mulling the idea of throwing his name into a City Council race next that year that is already buzzing with storylines and characters.

Assembly Member Al Taylor, who currently represents a large chunk of Harlem, and then the west side of Washington Heights and Inwood, told City & State that he is "kicking the wheels and checking the tires" on a possible run — and "will make a decision in the next couple weeks."

Taylor's office did not immediately respond to Patch's request for confirmation.

Taylor was elected to the Assembly in 2017, after replacing his former boss Herman D. Farrell Jr.

The run would be an effort to unseat newly elected City Council Member Kristin Richardson Jordan, a democratic socialist who has called for one day abolishing the city's police department.

Taylor suggested to City & State that Richardson Jordan wasn't providing enough services to the district.

“The motivation would be the services that could be brought to the community,” he told the publication. “We need unification and services rendered to the community that need it so desperately.”

Richardson Jordan was elected by just 114 votes over incumbent Bill Perkins in last year's crowded Democratic primary. Instead of the typical four-year term, Richardson Jordan and her Council colleagues are forced to run again in 2023 due to a city charter rule that mandates shorter, two-year terms after Council districts are redrawn.

Longtime lawmaker Inez Dickens is also considering challenging Richardson Jordan.

Dickens, the State Assembly Member whose potential bid was first reported by the New York Post, confirmed to Patch on Tuesday that she was "seriously considering" running for the District 9 Council seat, which she previously held from 2006 to 2016.

Dickens has served in the Assembly since 2017, most recently fending off primary challenger Delsenia Glover in June. Last year, Dickens emerged as a vocal defender of embattled Gov. Andrew Cuomo, questioning the motives of the women who accused him of sexual harassment.

Additionally, Joshua Clennon, who finished eighth in last year's District 9 primary, told Patch on Tuesday that he was also "strongly considering" another run next year.

Patch reporter Nick Garber contributed to this report.