Cordell Cleare Picked For Harlem Senate Seat To Succeed Benjamin

HARLEM, NY — Cordell Cleare was selected on Saturday to be the Democratic nominee for Harlem's open state senate seat, ending weeks of speculation that began when incumbent Brian Benjamin was elevated to lieutenant governor.

Cleare, 56, is a longtime party leader in the neighborhood who recently ran for the District 9 City Council seat, finishing in fourth place. She will now run in a November special election, which she is all but certain to win.

Her selection came at the end of an hourslong meeting of local district leaders, convened by the Manhattan Democratic Party at an auditorium in Riverbank State Park. Well over a dozen people had expressed interest in the open seat for the 30th District, which covers Central Harlem and parts of East Harlem, Hamilton Heights, the Upper West Side and Washington Heights.

In the end, only five people besides Cleare put themselves forward: Assemblymembers Inez Dickens, Robert Rodriguez and Al Taylor; Athena Moore, another recent Council candidate; and Shana Harmongoff, a staffer for Benjamin's senate office.

District leaders working out some last minute details. pic.twitter.com/327vFcZryc
— Sarah Steiner (@SarahGoat) September 25, 2021

Rodriguez, though, withdrew from contention soon after the meeting began after realizing he did not live within the district, according to the attorney Sarah Steiner, who documented Saturday's meeting on Twitter. Dickens, too, later took herself out of contention despite initial speculation that she was a strong contender to win.

After two rounds of voting, Moore, Cleare and Taylor led with 40.7, 31.3 and 28 percent, respectively. In the third round, Cleare defeated Moore with 57.4 percent of the vote, the party said.

For years, Cleare worked for Bill Perkins during his tenure in the state senate and City Council, serving as his chief of staff — though she eventually challenged him for his seat this spring.

In 2016, she was a party delegate for Bernie Sanders during his campaign for president. She has also served on a local school board and led a 1990s fight against led poisoning after her son was sickened.

During her recent Council campaign, Cleare said her top priorities included affordable housing and tenant protections, as well as protecting Harlem's landmarks and achieving police-free schools.

"I have a long record of community service and getting results," she wrote in a Patch candidate questionnaire.

Cleare will run again for a full term next year. She has already drawn at least one challenger for next June's Democratic primary: Ali Dinii, a community organizer who has the support of District 9 City Council nominee Kristin Richardson Jordan.

Dinii, a democratic socialist, withdrew on Saturday from this year's special election, calling the internal party vote "undemocratic."

Gothamist reported that Cleare dedicated her victory on Saturday to her son, Jordan, who died last month at age 29.

Previous coverage:

• Harlem's Senate Race Heats Up: Who Will Replace Brian Benjamin?
• NYC Council District 9 Election: Cordell Cleare Seeks Harlem Seat