Senator Jeremy Cooney

Jeremy A. Cooney was born on August 1, 1981, and is an American politician from New York. He made history in 2020 as the first Asian-American elected to state office from upstate New York. Cooney was adopted by a single mother from an orphanage in Kolkata, India.

Political Experience

Cooney represents the 56th District of the New York State Senate, which covers the majority of Rochester and the towns of Brighton, Gates, Greece, and Henrietta in Monroe County. His term began on January 1, 2021, following his 2020 general election victory by a margin of 12.6% after winning a three-way primary.

He previously ran for the same seat in 2018 but lost to 20-year incumbent Joseph Robach.

Party Affiliation: Democratic Party and Working Families Party

Current Position: Chairman of the Committee on Transportation, where he focuses on modernizing New York's infrastructure and increasing street safety.

Notable Achievements

Cooney has championed several significant initiatives:

• Authored the New York CHIPS Act in 2022, an economic development program that attracted semiconductor companies including Micron, bringing thousands of jobs to upstate communities
• Supported accelerated middle-class tax cuts estimated to save families $162 million in 2023 and $615 million in 2024
• Championed a property tax rebate providing an average credit of $873 for over 140,000 Monroe County taxpayers
• Introduced housing affordability legislation, including the HOME Act and the First Home Buyers Savings Program
• Secured $50 million annually for the Housing Access Voucher Program and $75 million for public housing authorities outside New York City in the FY2026 budget
• Received recognition as a 2025 Women of Distinction Honoree and 2025 New York State Senate Veterans' Hall of Fame Honoree