Wrongly Imprisoned for 7 Years, Exonerated ‘Central Park Five’ Member Wins NYC Council Primary

Wrongly Imprisoned for 7 Years, Exonerated ‘Central Park Five’ Member Wins NYC Council Primary
New York City Council candidate Yusef Salaam speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in New York on May 24, 2023. Mary Altaffer/AP Photo
The Associated Press
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NEW YORK—Yusef Salaam, one of the exonerated “Central Park Five,” has won a Democratic primary for a seat on the New York City Council, all but assuring him of eventual victory. It’s an improbable feat for a political novice who was wrongly accused, convicted, and imprisoned as a teenager for the rape and beating of a jogger in Central Park.

The Associated Press refrained from calling the race on election night, but vote tallies released Wednesday showed him to be the clear winner to represent Central Harlem. Salaam is not expected to face a serious challenge in November’s general election, if any.