Bill Perkins Jolts Harlem Council Race, Launches Re-Election Bid

HARLEM, NY — The competitive City Council race playing out in Central Harlem was jolted this week by news that the incumbent, Bill Perkins, would seek another term despite longstanding rumors that he is in poor health.

The surprise re-election bid by Perkins, 71, was first reported Thursday by THE CITY, who quoted three of Perkins's council colleagues, a constituent and a former staffer attesting to his frequent disorientation and memory loss.

Reached by phone Friday, Keith Lilly, a Harlem district leader and Perkins's longtime ally, confirmed that he was helping to gather the required voter signatures for Perkins to appear on the June Democratic primary ballot in District 9.

Asked to discuss Perkins's health, Lilly replied, "No comment."

One Harlem political insider told Patch on Friday that Perkins's unknown condition has "been the worst-kept secret."

"It’s been deteriorating for years," said the insider, who worked with Perkins for years and asked to remain anonymous to discuss the sensitive subject. In addition to disorientation, he said Perkins has behaved combatively towards others.

In recent years, Perkins has been largely absent from public life — a significant retreat for a prominent politician who has represented Harlem in the State Senate and City Council for about 20 years put together.

Last year, City & State magazine singled Perkins out among city lawmakers for his poor attendance record in the City Council, his low number of bills passed, and his office's unresponsiveness to constituent emails. He responded to the publication in an email, saying his public service was "not about the number of tweets or press stories or even being at every meeting."

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In 2019, he was hospitalized after neighbors called police to say he was acting erratically in his Harlem apartment. Perkins blamed the incident on "health issues," and colleagues told the Daily News that they feared his cancer treatments had affected his behavior.

Perkins's office did not respond to a request for comment.

Perkins's last-minute entry came just as candidates began hitting the streets to gather signatures ahead of the city's March 25 petitioning deadline. Based on name recognition alone, Perkins will likely be a formidable candidate in the District 9 race, although he has not yet created a campaign account to raise money.

The field in District 9 now includes 16 candidates, whose campaigns have raised more than $515,000 put together.

In addition to Perkins, the other candidates running are: William Allen, Cordell Cleare, Joshua Clennon, William Council, Pierre Gooding, Kristin Richardson Jordan, Alpheaus Marcus, Ruth McDaniels, Bernadette McNear, Athena Moore, Mario Rosser, Sheba Simpson, Keith Taylor, Demetrius D. Wilson II and Malik Wright.

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