# Jeremy Cooney

Jeremy Cooney (born August 1, 1981) is an American politician from the state of New York. A Democrat, Cooney represents the 56th district of the New York State Senate, covering parts of the City of Rochester, the Town of Brighton, and the western suburbs of Monroe County. His term of office began on January 1, 2021.

## Early life and education

Cooney was adopted from an orphanage in Kolkata, India, by a single mother in upstate New York. He was raised in Rochester and attended schools in the Rochester City School District, graduating from School of the Arts. Cooney earned his B.A. from Hobart College and his J.D. from Albany Law School, where he served as executive editor of the Albany Law Review.

## Political career

Prior to running for elected office, Cooney served as an aide to U.S. Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, a law clerk to New York Governor David Paterson, worked for Empire State Development under Andrew Cuomo, and was the first chief of staff to Mayor Lovely A. Warren of the City of Rochester.

### New York State Senate
#### Elections

Cooney ran for the 56th Senate District in 2018 and lost to 20-year incumbent Joseph Robach.
He ran again in 2020 and won a 3-way primary election before winning the 2020 general election by a margin of 12.6%. He is the first Asian to be elected to state office from upstate New York.
In November 2022, he defeated Republican Jim VanBrederode and was re-elected to a second term.
Senator Cooney was re-elected to a third term after defeating Jim VanBrederode once again in 2024.

#### Tenure

Cooney serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Transportation. In this role, he has advocated for record funding for public transit systems, worker safety, and policies supporting advanced aviation technology and high speed rail. He also serves as Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Cannabis where he has championed social equity programs for those impacted by the failed War on Drugs, worked to crack down on illicit stores, and to support New York’s medical cannabis industry.
Senator Cooney is also a member of the committees on Civil Service and Pensions, Codes, Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And Recreation, Ethics And Internal Governance, Finance, Insurance, Judiciary, and the Select Majority Task Force on Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises.
In 2022, Cooney sponsored the Green CHIPS Act, legislation that provides state tax incentives to attract semiconductor and high-tech chip manufacturers to New York. The bill was signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul in August 2022.

## Personal life

Cooney lives in the City of Rochester with his wife, Diane Lu, a urological surgeon at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

## Election Results
### 2018

2018 New York State Senate election, District 56 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Joseph Robach (incumbent) | 53,091 | 55.5 |
| | Democratic | Jeremy Cooney | 42,497 | 44.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 95,615 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2020

2020 New York State Senate election, District 56 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jeremy Cooney | 11,134 | 53.9 |
| | Democratic | Hilda Rosario Escher | 4,887 | 23.7 |
| | Democratic | Sherita Traywick | 4,634 | 22.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 20,655 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Jeremy Cooney | 69,951 | 55.8 |
| | Republican | Michael Barry Jr. | 55,355 | 44.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 125,306 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |

### 2022

2022 New York State Senate election, District 56 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jeremy Cooney | 51,704 | 52.9 |
| | Republican | Jim VanBrederode | 43,686 | 44.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 97,712 | 100.0 |