Cordell Cleare (born December 5, 1965) is an American activist and politician from Harlem,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. A member of the Democratic Party, she has been politically active in Harlem since the late 1990s and is currently the state-senator for New York's 30th State Senate district.

Early life

Cordell Cleare was raised in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

, where her family lived for four generations.

Career

Cleare worked for over 18 years for New York State Senator Bill Perkins and served as his chief of staff for several years. Cleare has served on the District #3 Community Education Council, and was a Community School Board member for six years. In 2008, Cleare campaigned for then-Senator

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

's presidential run. In 2012, she supported Obama's run for re-election, and was a delegate to the

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 18 ...

. Cleare ran for

New York City Council The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City in the United States. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government mod ...

to represent District 9 in 2017, losing to her old boss Perkins. She ran again for that seat in 2021, with both her and Perkins losing to Kristin Richardson Jordan. On September 25, 2021, Cleare was selected by the Manhattan Democratic Committee to be the Democratic nominee in a special election for New York's 30th State Senate district. The district became vacant when incumbent Brian Benjamin was appointed

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

. However, it is so heavily Democratic that Cleare was effectively chosen as its next state senator. The special election occurred on November 2, 2021, and she won with over 88% of the vote. In March 2022, Congress member

Carolyn Maloney Carolyn Jane Maloney (née Bosher, February 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2013 to 2023, and for from 1993 to 2013. The district includes most of Manhattan's East Side, Astoria and Long I ...

endorsed State Senator Cleare for reelection.

Activism

Cleare was a tenant organizer and then the chair of the New York City Coalition to End Lead Poisoning. She became involved with the organization after her two-year-old son was diagnosed with lead poisoning, an issue she called “completely preventable.” Cleare raised awareness about lead poisoning through workshops at schools and community centres, health fairs, and government officials. In 1997, Cleare was awarded the

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’s eleventh annual Brooke Russell Astor Award for her activism work, which included a $10,000 prize. Cleare’s advocacy helped create the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Bill that passed in the New York City Council in 2004. Cleare was endorsed by the New York League of Conservation Voters during the 2021 New York City Council election. Cleare’s platform for her state senate election included the discontinuation of fossil fuels for the Metropolitan Transit Authority and the protection of green spaces.

Awards

* 1997: Brooke Russell Astor Award - Co-chair of the New York City Coalition to End Lead Poisoning

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cleare, Cordell People from Harlem Politicians from Manhattan Living people American education activists American anti-racism activists American anti-poverty advocates Activists for African-American civil rights American women's rights activists American community activists American women civil rights activists 21st-century African-American politicians 1965 births 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century African-American women politicians 20th-century African-American women politicians 20th-century African-American politicians 20th-century American women politicians African-American state legislators in New York (state) Democratic Party New York (state) state senators 21st-century members of the New York State Legislature