
MEET RHABI
East Orange’s First Gen Z Elected Official — Bringing A New Era To Our Community
Rhabi R. Wright is a lifelong East Orange resident who has dedicated his life to serving his neighbors and uplifting his community. From a young age, Rhabi has showed a strong commitment to leadership—he attended Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing Arts and later graduated from East Orange Campus High School in 2018, where he served as President of the Student Government Association.
He continued his education at Montclair State University, earning a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Economics. While working full-time and taking night classes in order to pursue his degree, he remained deeply engaged in civic life, serving as Secretary and later as President of the Political Science Club, where he worked to give students a voice to address their concerns.
In 2023, Rhabi was appointed and currently serves as an advisory member on the South Orange Community Relations Committee, where he led the formation of the committee’s rebranding and digital launch—creating new social media channels for community updates, transparency, and participation.
Rhabi is a member of the Water Environment Federation and the New Jersey Water Environment Association (NJWEA), where he serves on the Young Professionals Committee. In addition, he serves his local community as a Notary Public, and was formerly a South Orange Rescue Squad volunteer, where he provided emergency medical care to residents and visitors.
Following the 2024 New Jersey Primary Election, Rhabi (then age 23) made history as the first member of Generation Z to be elected to public office in the City of East Orange, proudly representing the residents of the 5th District of the Second Ward as a member of the East Orange Democratic Committee and the Essex County Democratic Committee.
During his first term in office, Rhabi’s efforts in promoting transparency and accessibility led to him creating and managing his own website (wright4eo.com) in order to keep East Orange residents informed about city services, programs, and resources that impact their daily lives.
As a steadfast supporter of empowering our youth, Rhabi’s contributions to his community ranges from participating in community cleanups to volunteering for local nonprofit organizations such as Covenant House which shelters at-risk youth facing homelessness and the East Orange-based organization Sierra House Inc. to which he was awarded with a Certificate of Appreciation for “his efforts in helping young women and mothers achieve self-sufficiency.”
Among the numerous awards he’s received over the years, Rhabi is a recipient of the Vailsburg Youth Award presented by the Unified Valisburg Services Organization in which he was also formally recognized by then-State Senator and former New Jersey Governor Richard J. Codey along with the New Jersey State Legislature for his outstanding contributions within his community.
As a strong advocate for civic engagement, he brings an array of fresh ideas and a deep sense of accountability to the people he serves. Rhabi also strongly believes that public service begins with listening, showing up, and working every day to make our communities stronger, safer, and more united.



The citation reads as follows: "Sierra House extends its gratitude for your unselfish contributions. Your efforts are important to helping young women and mothers achieve self-sufficiency."





