Adopted from an orphanage in Kolkata, India, Senator Cooney made history as the first Asian elected to state office from upstate New York. He was raised by a single mother in the City of Rochester and is a proud graduate of the Rochester City School District (RCSD). He is the first state senator to have earned an RCSD diploma in decades.
Senator Cooney began his career working on Capitol Hill for the late U.S. Congresswoman Louise Slaughter. He later served as the chief of staff for the City of Rochester under Mayor Lovely Warren. He played a key leadership role in securing the city’s federal designation through the competitive Investing in Manufacturing Cities Program (IMCP) under the U.S. Department of Commerce during the Obama Administration. He also helped secure a $1.4M grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to establish and launch the Mayor’s Office of Innovation with a focus on poverty relief initiatives.
Prior to running for public office, Senator Cooney served as the senior director for community relations with Empire State Development under Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. At ESD, he helped lead public affairs for large scale economic development projects.
Senator Cooney is active in the Rochester community. He sits on the President’s Advisory Council for Hobart & William Smith Colleges and is a member of the Vestry for Christ Church Rochester (Episcopal). He is a proud Eagle Scout and serves as a Vice Chair of the Executive Board for the Boy Scouts of America, Seneca Waterways Council.
Senator Cooney earned his B.A. with honors from Hobart College and his J.D. from Albany Law School. He is married to Dr. Diane Lu, a urologic surgeon with the University of Rochester Medical Center.
