New York State Senator Cordell Cleare was raised in Harlem and her family has lived there for four generations. Cleare is a product of the New York City public schools, including Brooklyn Technical High School.

About Cordell Cleare | NYSenate.gov

Senator Cleare has served as Board President of Community School District 3 (Upper Westside and Central Harlem) and when the New York State Decentralization Law ended abruptly and changed how communities had power over their local schools, she continued as the President of the Community Education Council in the district.

Cordell Cleare was raised in Harlem. She attended Brooklyn Technical High School as part of her public-school education in New York City. She has served as board president of Community School District 3 and as president of the district's Community Education Council.

New York State Senator Cordell Cleare

For nearly two decades, starting in 1997, she tirelessly served as Chief of Staff to Bill Perkins, during his time in the New York City Council and New York State Senate.

Cordell Cleare previously served as chief of staff to Bill Perkins.

Cordell previously served as chief of staff to Bill Perkins.

She overwhelmingly won the County Committee nomination and then won the special election in a crowded General Election ballot with almost 90% of the vote. She was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2022.

Senator Cleare is currently serving in her second term from District 30, representing Central Harlem, East Harlem (El Barrio), West Harlem, Upper Westside, Morningside Heights, Manhattanville, Hamilton Heights and Washington Heights neighborhoods.

Cleare recently ran in highly contested New York City Council and State Senate contested races. After placing 4th among 14 candidates in the New York City Council Primary Election in June 2021, she was encouraged by her democratic party colleagues, District Leaders and County Committee Members, to seek an open Senate Seat.

Cordell currently serves her second term as state senator for District 30. She won a special election and was reelected in 2022. Cordell previously placed fourth among 14 candidates in the New York City Council primary election in June 2021.

2026 New York General Election

The single issue I am approached most with on a daily basis is housing. In most cases it is about the lack of "affordability" and families and individuals struggling to pay rents as well as those who are on the verge of or already experiencing homelessness.
1. Increase and strengthen tenant protections including succession
2. Allow basements in privately owned homes to be converted to apartments
3. Support the use of failed hotels and other commercial space to be developed as permanent affordable housing.
4. Mandate that remaining city owned land be used to create housing that is affordable to low income and working class families/individuals.
5. Work with the Mayor, my colleagues, state and federal elected officials to fund and develop a plan to build housing according to a neighborhood median income and not the current AMI.
6. Reduce and limit the grounds for eviction.
7. Preserve the affordable housing stock we already have. Stop deregulation of rent stabilized units and recover units already lost.

Harlem State Senate Election: Cordell Cleare Seeks Open Seat

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

>Prevent gun violence and address racial disparities in policing
>Provide equitable financial assistance to MWBE businesses
>Combat harmful environmental hazards
>Fully fund our public schools for future
>Preserve and protect tenants, HDFC coops & small property owners

Senator Cleare will continue to use her position to demand fairness in housing, education, healthcare, equitable distribution of business opportunities, address income equality and the creation of wealth for black families. Cleare is dedicated to preserving families by focusing on workforce development, job creation, ending gun violence in our streets and domestic violence. She is proud to serve and is strongly committed to fighting for social equity.

Supports stronger tenant protections, including succession rights.

Supports converting failed hotels and commercial space into permanent affordable housing.

Calls for using remaining city-owned land for affordable housing for low-income and working-class residents.

Calls for limiting grounds for eviction and preserving rent-stabilized affordable housing.

Supports equitable financial assistance for minority- and women-owned business enterprises.

Prioritizes workforce development and job creation.

- Supports stronger tenant protections, including succession rights.
- Supports converting failed hotels and commercial space into permanent affordable housing.
- Calls for using remaining city-owned land for affordable housing for low-income and working-class residents.
- Calls for limiting grounds for eviction and preserving rent-stabilized affordable housing.
- Supports equitable financial assistance for minority- and women-owned business enterprises.
- Prioritizes workforce development and job creation.

Economy

As of September 9, 2026, Cordell Cleare’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Energy & the Environment

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

There was a lack of communication and information going out to the community. The slow and inadequate response to COVID 19 in this community by the city across the board was unacceptable. I demanded answers and resources from our city agencies and our Mayor early in the pandemic.

I protested and lobbied the Mayor and HHC executives to get PPE's for nurses at Harlem Hospital. I reached out to early in the pandemic to all area and citywide elected officials for a breakdown of deaths by ethnicity, race and neighborhood. i pushed for more testing sites and vaccine equity in our community.

Called for city agencies to provide answers and resources in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Advocated for additional COVID-19 testing sites and equitable vaccine access in the community.

- Called for city agencies to provide answers and resources in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Advocated for additional COVID-19 testing sites and equitable vaccine access in the community.

Healthcare

Voting & Elections

Why are you seeking elective office?

To serve as a voice for ALL of the people of Harlem. To protect renters, home owners and business owners from being pushed out and support pathways for current and future generations to rent, own homes and businesses, and thrive in the community. To fully fund and work to make our neighborhood schools quality schools. To help ensure that residents are safe in our streets without violating our civil rights. Work to increase black wealth and end racial disparities in all areas.

I demonstrated and testified at DOE hearings calling for a safe reopening of our schools. I called to redirect funding from the NYPD to other badly needed community programs including mental health services, cure violence, job training, employment and youth programs.

Prioritizes public safety while protecting civil rights.

Called for redirecting New York Police Department funding to mental-health services, Cure Violence, job training, employment, and youth programs.

Supports preventing gun violence and addressing racial disparities in policing.

- Prioritizes public safety while protecting civil rights.
- Called for redirecting New York Police Department funding to mental-health services, Cure Violence, job training, employment, and youth programs.
- Supports preventing gun violence and addressing racial disparities in policing.

Public Safety

I demanded answers and resources from our city agencies and our Mayor early in the pandemic. I pushed for our schools to be closed and after they were closed pushed for remote devices and broadband for our students. I demonstrated and testified at DOE hearings calling for a safe reopening of our schools.

Advocated for school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, remote-learning devices and broadband, and safe school reopening.

- Supports fully funding public schools.
- Advocated for school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, remote-learning devices and broadband, and safe school reopening.

Education

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Cordell Cleare

- Prioritizes workforce development and job creation.

Mauricio Mendez

Buket Urgen

- Your state senator is involved in the legislative process at the state level as part of the New York State Senate, which consists of 63 members and serves as the upper house of the New York State Legislature, the state's lawmaking body. 
- State senators are responsible for representing your interests and assisting you with navigating state services while bringing resources back to your district.  
- State senators draft laws, approve budgets, oversee the state executive branch, and engage in debates and votes on proposed legislation.  
- In addition to drafting and voting on bills, your state senator can serve on committees, where many bills may be delayed before reaching a vote.  
- State senators are elected for a two-year term with no term limits.  
- Their annual salary is $142,000.  

Your representative and state lawmaker in the New York Senate.