A group of leading black executives are behind the push to put Wall Street veteran Ray McGuire in City Hall, sources tell The Post.
Citigroup Vice Chairman Ray McGuire, who is black, “has not made up his mind yet,” about whether to launch a mayoral campaign, one source said, noting, “It’s more people pushing him to run.”
The group egging him on, the Black Economic Alliance, is comprised of senior black business people like Viacom’s Marva Smalls and Lazard’s William M. Lewis Jr. who want to see more people of color elected to public office.
“That group is saying, ‘Why don’t we sort of replicate Bloomberg in terms of having someone who’s got an understanding of business and the economy rather than a professional politician,” the source said.
McGuire is not a complete stranger to politics. In July he joined 26 other black leaders to condemn the water attacks on cops in a letter to the New York Times.
The alliance and McGuire did not return messages seeking comment.
A Citi spokeswoman said, “Mr. McGuire is solely focused on his role at Citi; talk about him considering a run for mayor of New York City is pure speculation.”
But Jessica Walker, of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, said McGuire would be a “terrific addition to the race.”
“He would certainly bring much needed balance to policy discussions. I think right now the political winds have the business community on the outs,” Walker said.
The 62-year-old Ohio native achieved a Harvard trifecta by earning degrees from the Boston Ivy’s College, Business and Law schools.
Raised by his social worker mom, McGuire put together boxes, toiled as a day laborer in construction and served as a hospital attendant before being accepted to Harvard, according to a 2005 interview with The Times.
He moved to the Big Apple with his mentor, the legendary investment banker Bruce Wasserstein, and worked for Wasserstein & Perella, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley before joining Citi in 2005.
The Upper West Side resident is active in philanthropic circles and has served on boards at The New York City Police Foundation, The Whitney Museum of American Art, and The New York Public Library.