Harlem Assemblyman and Manhattan Democratic Party leader Keith Wright is considering retiring from politics — to take a plum job as the $174,000-a-year borough county clerk, The Post has learned.
Wright’s departure would send shock waves through Harlem, city and Albany politics, setting off a scramble for a successor to fill the power vacuum for both his elective and political office
Wright, 59, the New York County Democratic Party chairman since 2009, also served for two years as co-chairman of the state Democratic Party under Gov. Cuomo.
Wright is a protege of Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel and helped the congressman win two-hard fought Democratic primaries against challenger Adriano Espaillat in a newly-drawn northern Manhattan/Bronx district with a growing Latino population.
Wright was widely viewed as a possible successor to Rangel, who has said he’s retiring in 2016.
But sources told The Post Wright is instead thinking about leaving elective politics completely next year to become Manhattan county clerk.
There’s going to be a rare opening in the highly-paid post because Norman Goodman, 90, the Manhattan County clerk since 1969, has announced plans to retire.
That has a scramble of applicants with Wright’s name in the mix.
The clerk summons citizens for jury duty for civil and criminal trials and is the keeper of court records.
The Appellate Division of the state Supreme Court appoints the county clerk. But insiders say politics plays a key role in the selection.
For example, former Queens Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer was appointed the Queens county clerk in 2011.
A source close to Wright confirmed there’s talk of Wright taking the job.
“It’s a good job. People in the political community are asking him about it [taking the job]” said one source.
The source added, “As of now, Keith is a not a candidate. There are a lot of people in the mix . . . Things can change.”
Wright’s dad, Bruce Wright, who died in 2005, was a state Supreme Court judge. His brother, Geoffrey, also is a Manhattan Supreme Court judge.
Wright, through a spokesman, declined comment.