Keith Wright is the best choice to continue Rangel’s legacy

If the deliberations among Democratic primary voters in the 13th Congressional District about whom to vote for to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Charles B. Rangel are as engaging as the heated endorsement process of our editorial board in this race, then democracy wins.

The decision made by our five-person board was not an easy one. This endorsement is, by far, the most divided in opinion as to who offered the best vision for the Harlem-centered district. That voters have several options to choose from in this race is a testament to the quality field of candidates.

But among this field of solid candidates, Assemblyman Keith Wright stood out, and should be the choice for district voters in the Democratic primary election next Tuesday.

We concluded that the Harlem-born Wright, a lifelong resident who has represented the 70th Assembly District in the New York state Legislature since 1992, is the best candidate, poised to hit the ground running when the 115th U.S. Congress convenes in January.

Wright’s accumulated knowledge of the political process began way before his election to the Assembly, as the son of pioneering state Supreme Court justice Bruce Wright, and a former aide to then-Manhattan Borough President David Dinkins. Since then, he has learned the ways of the legislative process by being engaged in the business of working for his district.

While there are many cases in which a “machine politician” works against the general interest of voters, in this case Wright’s insider status in the state Democratic Party actually gives him an advantage over the other candidates in this race. As chairman of the Manhattan Democratic Party, Wright is already close with party leaders in the state and in Washington, D.C., and should not have much of a learning curve when it comes to building relationships in Congress to benefit his constituents.

Rangel has held the Harlem-based congressional seat since 1971, and has had a similar rise to power as Wright, albeit at a much younger age. When he arrived at the House of Representatives all that was known about Rangel was that he had defeated the legendary Adam Clayton Powell Jr.

While nothing is guaranteed, we are hopeful that Wright can build on Rangel’s legacy, and also learn from the ethical mistakes the dean of the New York Congressional delegation made.

As for candidates Clyde Williams, Suzan Johnson Cook, Adriano Espaillat, Adam Clayton Powell IV, Guillermo Linares and Mike Gallagher, we can say that by participating they’ve given the voters of the 13th Congressional District a diverse array options at the voting booth.

We particularly encourage Suzan Johnson Cook to continue her engagement on the issues, and continue her activism in New York politics, keeping her eye on future opportunities to run for office.

Clyde Williams also has a bright future in city politics. He is, at times, a fresh voice with bold ideas. However, in his second attempt at running for the 13^th District seat, we would have liked to see him more visibly engaged on issues of concern to the district and remember that all politics is local. We recommend that he run on more than his associations with the Obama and Clinton administrations.

Current state legislators Adriano Espaillat and Guillermo Linares should make more of an effort to campaign beyond ethnic politics, and are better suited to serve their constituents in the New York state Senate and Assembly, respectively. This is Espaillat’s third attempt at winning this Congressional seat. If he falls short of victory, he should heed the third strike that voters have given him and focus on being an engaged and active state senator.

Rangel’s retirement leaves a gaping power vacuum for New York City’s black and Latino residents, but we are confident that Keith Wright will work to bridge ethnic divides in the 13^th District and equally serve all of his constituents.