Michael K. Williams, who grew up and still lives in Brooklyn, said he was won over by Dan Quart’s promises of criminal justice reform. | Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
The Manhattan district attorney’s race is getting some star power.
Actor Michael K. Williams — known for his roles in The Wire and Boardwalk Empire — is backing Assemblymember Dan Quart for the seat, and narrating a new video promoting his campaign.
“I’m not a politician,” Williams, who played Omar Little on the hit HBO show, told POLITICO. “I’m a New Yorker, born and bred, and I’m a grown ass man, excuse my language, and it’s time to make my voice and my platform matter for something.”
Quart, who represents Manhattan’s East Side, is competing in an eight-person Democratic primary for the top prosecutor’s job. Incumbent DA Cy Vance hasn’t said whether he’s running for re-election, but hasn’t been fundraising or participating in the race. Other contenders include Alvin Bragg, Tali Farhadian Weinstein, Lucy Lang, Diana Florence, Tahanie Aboushi, Eliza Orlins and Liz Crotty.
Williams, who grew up and still lives in Brooklyn, said he was won over by Quart’s promises of criminal justice reform — including homing in on wrongful convictions, making plea agreements more transparent and combating violence against Black transgender women.
“I believe him when he tells me that he wants to change,” Williams said.
In a campaign video, the gravelly-voiced actor tells the stories of five New Yorkers who have had run-ins with the criminal justice system. They include TS Candii, a transgender woman arrested under the just-repealed law against loitering for purposes of prostitution, which opponents dubbed the “walking while trans” ban, and Jeffrey Deskovic, who was wrongfully convicted of murder.
“We deserve a justice system that sees people, not just criminals. And we need leaders who see the difference,” Williams says in the video.
In an interview, he said he got to know Quart through his work with the Innocence Project, which advocates for people who have been falsely convicted.
He’s hoping to see a prohibition on an arresting police officer being present for the suspect’s lineup and legislation requiring all interrogations to be videotaped — two policies Quart has backed.
Last year, Williams testified at a City Council hearing on police reform bills.
While the DA endorsement is his first foray into local electoral politics, he said it may not be his last — he’ll be keeping an eye on the upcoming mayor’s race and encouraging residents to get out and vote.
“As a born and bred New Yorker, I feel it’s my responsibility to get involved. Being silent is part of the problem,” he said. “You’re going to be hearing more from me as we start going toward the mayoral election.”
He’s also eager to hear who mayoral candidates would pick as their police commissioner ahead of June’s primary.
“That’s what I will base my decision on,” he said.
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February 04, 2021 at 05:01PM
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'The Wire' actor Michael K. Williams backs Dan Quart for Manhattan DA - Politico
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