VoterLens
New York State Senate District 56
Hobart College—B.A. with honors; Albany Law School—J.D.
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Jeremy Cooney was adopted from an orphanage in Kolkata, India and raised in Rochester, New York. He began his career working for U.S. Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, later served as chief of staff for the City of Rochester, and was senior director for community relations with Empire State Development before holding public office.
Committee Assignments: Cannabis · Transportation · Civil Service and Pensions · Codes · Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation · Ethics and Internal Governance · Finance · Insurance · Judiciary · Select Majority Task Force on Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises
Jeremy Cooney supports expanding affordable healthcare access, including universal healthcare coverage for children, an Essential Plan buy-in, and the New York Health Act. He has also sponsored or co-sponsored measures to expand reproductive, fertility, and obesity-treatment coverage.
Jeremy Cooney emphasizes economic development through semiconductor manufacturing, upstate job creation, small-business workforce incentives, worker attraction/retention, and cost transparency for consumers. His campaign states that he authored the NY CHIPS Act, introduced a relocated/remote worker grant program, and supports good-paying union jobs, workforce training, and fair wages across Senate District 56.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Supported an MTA contract for hybrid buses manufactured by New York-linked companies, stating the investment would support over 1,000 jobs while improving transportation outcomes.
SourceJeremy Cooney supports immigrant-protective policies, including limiting state and local participation in federal immigration enforcement and expanding legal representation for immigrants facing deportation. As a sitting Democratic New York State Senator for District 56, he has co-sponsored legislation such as the New York for All Act and the Access to Representation Act.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Cooney stated that immigration court should not be an exception to the right to an attorney and said he was a proud co-sponsor of the Access to Representation Act because financial barriers should not prevent someone from living in the country.
SourceJeremy Cooney supports investing in renewable energy technologies and climate resiliency measures while also backing clean-energy-related economic development. As a sitting New York State Senator for District 56, he has sponsored or co-sponsored bills to expand renewable-energy definitions, require data-center energy offsets, study renewable-powered cryptocurrency mining, divest teacher pension funds from fossil fuels, and create Green CHIPS incentives with sustainability criteria.
Jeremy Cooney emphasizes strong public schools and has focused much of his education record on Rochester City School District facilities, including the Rochester Schools Modernization Program and reinvesting project savings for students and faculty. He also supports protections for students from discrimination, including transgender/gender-nonconforming student policies and religious-attire protections in schools.
Jeremy Cooney frames public safety as both prevention and accountability, emphasizing investments in youth and services, cooperation with law enforcement, and targeted laws to reduce violence and protect vulnerable people. As a sitting Democratic state senator for New York Senate District 56, he has sponsored or co-sponsored measures on homicide witness protection, assaults on roadway workers, weaponized drones/robots, and limiting state/local involvement in federal immigration enforcement so local resources can focus on community safety.
Specific Actions & Proposals
In a 2026 District 56 candidate interview, Cooney described public safety as his three Ps: prevention, policy, and punishment, saying prevention includes youth employment investments while not forgetting accountability.
SourceNYSenate.gov
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/jeremy-cooney/aboutFetched: biography, location, education, background, committees
Vote Smart
https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/185139/jeremy-cooneyFetched: biography, location, education, committees
Open States / Plural Policy - Jeremy Cooney legislator profile
https://open.pluralpolicy.com/person/jeremy-cooney-3KX35KTuI1ZBb7QzOXtNRB/Fetched: votingRecord
Open States / Plural Policy - S 240 vote
https://open.pluralpolicy.com/vote/6a828a42-421a-46ac-b882-eda65641dba0/Fetched: votingRecord
Open States / Plural Policy - S 2236 vote
https://open.pluralpolicy.com/vote/e3ed63fd-72da-45a3-9cf4-b7eb714f2090/Fetched: votingRecord
Open States / Plural Policy - S 946 vote
https://open.pluralpolicy.com/vote/b22e199f-9607-45a9-b21e-02027a007fab/Fetched: votingRecord
Transparency USA - Jeremy Cooney New York State Senate District 56 2026
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/jeremy-cooneyFetched: campaignFinance
Transparency USA - Jeremy Cooney payees
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/jeremy-cooney/payeesFetched: campaignFinance
NYS Senate - Senator Jeremy Cooney
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/jeremy-cooneyFetched: votingRecord
New York League of Conservation Voters
https://www.nylcv.org/candidate/jeremy-cooney/Fetched: endorsements, ratings
New York League of Conservation Voters
https://nylcv.org/press-item/lawmakers-grades-are-in-nylcvs-2024-environmental-scorecard/Fetched: ratings
Planned Parenthood Action
https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/uploads/filer_public/af/44/af443976-e40e-4f37-9bd3-4622156c08e2/ppesa_2024_senate_scorecard.pdfFetched: ratings
The Freedom Index
https://thefreedomindex.org/ny/legislator/22259/votes/report-ny-scorecard-2024/pdf/scc/Fetched: ratings
NYSenate.gov - Senator Jeremy Cooney profile
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/jeremy-cooneyFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Universal Health Care for Children press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/jeremy-cooney/national-child-health-day-senator-cooney-unveils-newFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - HEARA press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/jeremy-cooney/over-450000-new-yorkers-set-lose-healthcare-due-federalFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Jeremy Cooney
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/jeremy-cooneyFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - About Jeremy A. Cooney
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/jeremy-cooney/aboutFetched: issuePositions
LegiScan - New York Senator Jeremy Cooney
https://legiscan.com/NY/people/jeremy-cooney/id/22259?chamber=senate&record=allFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S2235 New York for All Act
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S2235/amendment/originalFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S141 Access to Representation Act
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S141Fetched: issuePositions
New York Immigration Coalition
https://www.nyic.org/2025/03/advocates-and-lawmakers-rally-to-demand-165m-for-immigration-legal-services-funding-passage-of-access-to-representation-act-and-build-act/Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S5055
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S5055Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S10546
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S10546Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S3347
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S3347Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S954
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S954Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S9467
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S9467Fetched: issuePositions
VOTE411 Voter Guide - Jeremy Cooney
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73189208Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senator Jeremy Cooney About
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/jeremy-cooney/aboutFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - S7157B
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7157/amendment/BFetched: issuePositions
WXXI - Connections candidate interview
https://video.wxxi.org/video/jeremy-cooney-and-orlando-rivera-candidates-for-nys-senate-district-56-b8ozos/Fetched: issuePositions