Raymond Santana, wrongfully convicted as a teenager in the 1989 Central Park jogger case, has announced his candidacy for the New York City Council.
Santana, 50, is running as a Democrat to represent parts of East Harlem and the Bronx, the same neighborhoods where he grew up and was falsely arrested more than three decades ago.
Santana’s campaign focuses on criminal justice reform, affordable housing, and addressing what he described as the deterioration of neighborhoods plagued by drugs, rats, and soaring rents.
“You look around and see the normal stuff isn’t working,” Santana told The New York Times. “That’s why we need someone who’s outside the system, who can come with a different lens.”
Santana and four other Black and Latino teenagers were accused of the brutal rape of a white female jogger in Central Park in 1989. The case captivated the nation, fueled by sensational media coverage and demands for harsh punishment.
Now President Donald Trump, then a New York real estate developer, took out full-page newspaper ads calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty, stating, “Bring back the death penalty. Bring back our police.”
Despite the group’s exoneration in 2002 — after a convicted rapist confessed to acting alone and DNA evidence confirmed his guilt — Trump has never apologized. As recently as his 2016 presidential campaign, he continued to insist on their guilt.
“The damage he did with those ads can’t be undone,” Santana said. “Even after we were proven innocent, he kept coming after us.”
Santana spent roughly five years in prison before being released on parole. In 2014, New York City agreed to a $41 million settlement with Santana and the other four men — often referred to as the Exonerated Five — awarding them about $1 million for each year they were incarcerated.
Since his release, Santana has become a national advocate for criminal justice reform. He traveled as a motivational speaker, started a clothing line, and worked with lawmakers to pass legislation to prevent wrongful convictions. His policy priorities include requiring minors to consult with attorneys before waiving their Miranda rights and banning deceptive police interrogation tactics.
If elected, Santana would join fellow Exonerated Five member Yusef Salaam, who won a City Council seat in Harlem in 2023. The two men have remained close, often collaborating on advocacy efforts.
“I’ve always said those who have been closest to the pain should have a seat at the table,” Salaam said. “Raymond is living proof of why that’s important.”
For Santana, the campaign is personal.
“To have a community that stood by me when Donald Trump and the rest of the world attacked us — they always had my back,” he said. “So, I have to have theirs.”
