Harlem State Senate Race: Shana Harmongoff Mounts Independent Bid

HARLEM, NY — Voters in New York's 30th Senate district, which covers Central Harlem and parts of Washington Heights, East Harlem and the Upper East Side, will see three names on their ballots when they cast votes in this week's special election.

One of those names will be Shana Harmongoff, a former staffer for outgoing Senator Brian Benjamin, who vacated the seat to become lieutenant governor.

Benjamin's ascendancy is what precipitated the special election, which is also being contested by Democrat Cordell Cleare and Republican Oz Sultan. Harmongoff unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination before deciding to mount an independent bid, and she will appear on the ballot on the "Hope 4 NY" party line.

Patch reached out to all candidates in the election to create these profiles. Harmongoff's responses are below.

Age (as of Election Day)

39

Position Sought

New York State Senate

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Neighborhood of residence (i.e., East Village, Astoria, etc.)

Harlem

Family

My son is Christopher Tyvon Goff he is 20 years old and my daughter is Kaylei Goff is 18 years old.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

I graduated with my Bachelors of Science degree from South Carolina State University. I graduated from the Appalachian School of Law with a Juris Doctorate and Juris Master degree.

Occupation

I served as the District Office Director for the former NY State Senator Brian A. Benjamin for 4 1/2 years in the NY State Senate.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

N/A

Campaign website

www.Harmongoff4NY.org

Why are you seeking elective office?

New York State Senate District 30

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Affordable Housing and the oversaturation of drug facility treatment centers in Harlem

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have legal experience and was trained/graduated from law school. I worked on public policies relating to criminal justice reform, mental health and health related issues.

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

I believe some of the local elected officials did a good job in responding to the coronavirus. I would have pushed more for the underserved communities to get the Covid testing sites in Harlem and East Harlem when the pandemic first started and not later on. I helped during this time tremendously. I oversaw pandemic relief efforts in the high needs Harlem and East Harlem communities and helped to secure COVID-19 vaccination appointments for high needs populations when appointments were in short supply.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I am an advocate for Addressing Mental Healthcare, Healthcare Disparities & Substance Abuse Issues; Act to prevent Homelessness and Ensure Access to Affordable Housing; Champion an Equitable COVID-19 Response; and Support Small Businesses

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

In 2020, I was selected by City & State as one of "City & State's NYC 40 Under 40 Rising Stars," in honor of my leadership skills that I used to influence our city and state governing institutions. These skills can best be seen through my leadership of a Senior Steering Committee that I started, where I was able to secure critical state funding for seniors, organize to prevent the closure of senior centers in Senate District 30, and successfully advocated to secure services that worked to keep seniors housed, fed, informed and prioritized in our local and state governmental affairs.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Never give up and always continue serving the community.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

That I am their Neighbor and would like to be their Voice in the community and in Albany. I will always continue to serve and advocate for the community.