With 98% of scanners reporting, Salaam, 49, secured 50% of the votes, totaling 5,403, compared to state Assemblywoman Inez Dickens, 73, who received 25% or 2,706 votes, and Assemblyman and pastor Al Taylor, 65, who garnered 14% or 1,564 votes.
Salaam, a board member of the Innocence Project and founding member of Justice 4 the Wrongfully Incarcerated, expressed his gratitude to the Harlem community during his victory speech, stating, "I'm here because Harlem believed in me. Harlem has spoken."
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Salaam and four other defendants were wrongfully convicted in the notorious 1989 Central Park rape jogger case. They served six to 13 years in prison before their convictions were overturned in 2002 following a confession from a career criminal.
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In 2014, the city paid a settlement of $40.75 million to Salaam and the other defendants to resolve a civil rights lawsuit stemming from their wrongful convictions.
Reflecting on his harrowing experience, Salaam shared, "Having to be kidnapped from my home as a 15-year-old child, to be lodged in the belly of the beast... I am my ancestor's wildest dreams. I was gifted because I was able to see it for what it really was, a system that was trying to make me believe that I was my ancestor's worst nightmare. I am here because Harlem, you believed in me."
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Salaam, blessed with ten children, seven girls, and three boys, received support from Manhattan Democratic leader Keith Wright, a Harlem resident whose son, Jordan, served as Salaam's campaign manager.
The victory for Salaam deals a blow to Mayor Eric Adams, Congressman Adrian Espaillat, and much of the Harlem establishment, who had rallied behind Dickens during the campaign.
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Throughout the race, Salaam faced criticism for referring to himself as a "doctor" despite lacking a legitimate doctorate. Additionally, he drew scrutiny for touting an endorsement from an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
Despite these challenges, Salaam's triumph in the councilman election marks a significant milestone in his journey from wrongful conviction to public service as he seeks to bring about positive change in central Harlem.
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