Cordell Cleare has won the Democratic nomination to appear on the special election ballot for the 30th Senate District seat, which had recently been vacated by Brian Benjamin after he became lieutenant governor. Her nomination all but guarantees she’ll be the next state senator representing the heavily Democratic neighborhoods of Harlem, parts of the Upper East Side, and Upper West Side.

The Manhattan Democratic Party nominated Cleare over three contenders on Saturday during a four-hour long convention inside an auditorium at Denny Ferrell State Park in Harlem's west side. Under state rules, political parties can handpick their nominee for any special election through a complicated weighted voting process.

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In remarks shortly after winning the nomination, Cleare thanked her family, including her late son who would tell her “Mom, get out of your own way.”

“And he says, ‘every time you leap you win,’” Cleare said. “So, I keep leaping because he taught me that. He taught me to leap.”

Cleare was joined by Benjamin, who characterized Cleare as a fierce advocate for Harlemites.

“A lot of people come out and say that they’re fighters. We know who a real fighter is: Cordell Cleare, I’m so proud of you, congratulations,” Benjamin said.

Other nominees included Athena Moore, Shana Harmongoff, and Assemblymember Al Taylor. Taylor was eliminated in the second round, and asked supporters to support Cleare, a district leader for the 70th Assembly District who, like Moore, unsuccessfully ran for the 9th Council District seat and is part of the power center in Harlem. With Democrats outnumbering Republicans in the district, Cleare’s win is all but assured.

Cleare has been active in Harlem politics for over a decade, serving as a member on the local community board and the Michelle Obama Democratic Club. In an interview with WNYC/Gothamist, Cleare said she’ll prioritize quality housing, thriving small businesses, and student equity in her district.

“Our schools and what we saw during COVID was just a reflection of what always existed. There was always a disparity. And when we saw our children who went without remote devices and technology for so long,” Cleare said. “This mirrored other things that they have been going without for so long and now that COVID has hit we have to revisit those same students and those same families because those children, many have fallen behind even further.”

Governor Kathy Hochul called a special election on September 17th, a week after Benjamin was officially sworn in as lieutenant governor. The timing of the special election aligned with the November 2nd general election as a way of avoiding two separate contests.

Even as Cleare settles into the new role, she'd have to run again for the June primary, which requires collecting signatures to get on the ballot. Cleare will face a primary challenge against Ali Diini, a community organizer who had worked as a field director Kristin Richardson Jordan, the nominee and likely winner for the 9th Council District. Jordan defeated longtime Harlem lawmaker Bill Perkins following a manual recount triggered after the two were in a dead heat.

"We're tired of the musical chairs that's been happening here for decades. So it's time for some change, and I definitely feel like I'm going to be that change," Diini said in an interview early this week.

Diini, a self-described democratic socialist, has already received a recommendation for an endorsement from the Working Families Party following a Thursday meeting with the group’s Manhattan chapter. If elected, Diini will be the first Black muslim woman to hold the seat. Her priorities, should she win in June, giving New York City the right for rent regulation over the state, improving housing and healthcare.

But sensing a small chance of victory, Diini opted to not take part in the special election and instead decided to focus her efforts on building a base for the June primary.

While not explicitly mentioning Jordan’s win, Wright took a dig at the outcome of the June primary, saying it should not happen again.

“We have other forces coming and we will all be together,” Wright said of the party members. “And we will all be together.”

Benjamin also urged committee members on the importance of unifying behind Cleare in next year’s June primary.

“November is important but we have to win in June and they are coming in June. And we know who they is,” Benjamin said.