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Wright was born in Hartlepool, has a BA and MA in History from University College London and worked as a chartered accountant for One North East before his election. He is married to Tiffiny with three children and lives in Rift House in the town. He was elected as a councillor for the Rift House ward of Hartlepool Borough Council in 2002, and a served on the Council's Cabinet with responsibility for performance management.

He was the only Hartlepool member on the shortlist when Peter Mandelson stepped down as Labour MP for the town in September 2004 and was easily selected as the Labour Party candidate for the by-election; during the later stages of the campaign, three local members - one of whom featured in Conservative Party leaflets and another of whom had earlier failed to win the nomination - were reported in the Guardian newspaper (which subsequently endorsed Liberal Democrat rival Jody DunnJody Dunn (born July 27, 1969) is a British Liberal Democrat politician, and a barrister specialising in family law. After leaving school at 17 and working as a DJ and radio presenter, she returned to education and graduated from the University of St Andr) to have been unhappy that no other local candidate had been available. The Labour Party dismissed the claims as having come from the "usual suspects".

During the campaign Wright highlighted the Labour government's controversial policies for tackling anti-social behaviour as well as the Liberal Democrats' refusal to support such measures in ParliamentAlternative meanings: Parliamentary system, Parliament (band), Parliament (cigarette). A parliament is a legislative body, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system derived from that of the United Kingdom. and stressed his local origins, in contrast to his main rivals. On polling day ( September 30September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 92 days remaining, as the final day of September. Events 1399 Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1452 First printed book, the Johann Gutenberg Bible., 2004), Wright was elected with a majority of 2,033, reduced from Mandelson's majoirty of 14,571.

The campaign was unusally long for British by-elections - effectively having begun on 22 July (the day Peter Mandelson announced his intention to become a European Commissioner) - 71 days before polling day itself.