Jess Coleman
Jess Coleman | |
|---|---|
| Candidate for the New York City Council for the 1st district | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Battery Park City, New York, NY |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Cornell University Boston University Law School |
Jess Coleman is an American attorney and community board member who announced his candidacy for the New York City Council to represent District 1 in Lower Manhattan in the 2025 election.[1]
Early life and education
Coleman was raised in Battery Park City, Manhattan. He attended PS 89 for elementary school and the Lab School for Collaborative Studies for middle and high school.[2] He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and his law degree from Boston University Law School in 2018.[2]
Career
Legal career
Coleman began his legal career at Akin Gump's bankruptcy group where he represented creditors of Purdue Pharma, which went to the Supreme Court.[2][3] He later worked at Venable LLP and then at Leader Berkon Colao & Silverstein, where he focused on business and commercial litigation, including real estate disputes.[4] According to the Tribeca Citizen, Coleman left his position as a litigator in January 2025 to campaign full-time.[2]
Community service
Coleman has served on Manhattan Community Board 1 since 2021,[2][5] where he co-chairs the Transportation Committee and serves on the Parks Committee.[2] Coleman joined the Community Board after former Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed a plan to remove a portion of Rockefeller Park for a memorial project.[2]
Political career
2025 City Council campaign
In July 2024, Coleman filed with the Campaign Finance Board to explore a run for the City Council seat representing District 1 in Lower Manhattan.[6] District 1 includes neighborhoods such as Tribeca, Battery Park City, the Financial District, the Lower East Side, and Chinatown.
Coleman officially announced his candidacy on November 8, 2024, following incumbent Council Member Christopher Marte vote against the City of Yes for Housing text amendment.[4] As of April 2025, Coleman had raised over $200,000 for his campaign, with $51,000 in private funds and qualifying for $190,000 in public matching funds.[7]
Campaign platform
Housing
Coleman's campaign materials state support for the City of Yes initiative, a zoning reform proposal aiming to create 80,000 new homes over the next decade.[4][5][8] According to reporting in The Real Deal, Coleman has criticized incumbent Council Member Christopher Marte for opposing the plan.[4] Marte has expressed concerns about insufficient affordable housing requirements and potential displacement. Coleman indicates he supports building more housing across price points, reforming zoning laws, strengthening tenant protections, and encouraging social housing development.[1][4]
Transportation and public space
As co-chair of Community Board 1's Transportation Committee, Coleman has participated in discussions regarding several transportation initiatives. His campaign materials indicate support for congestion pricing implementation, expansion of pedestrian-friendly spaces including Open Streets programs, and outdoor dining regulations.[1][5] In an interview, Coleman expressed support for reducing congestion in Manhattan, stating, "The way that I see it is that we need to start somewhere and if there are effects on certain communities over other communities, that's the sort of thing that we can adjust later on, but by and large, we need to get congestion out of Manhattan."[9] Coleman has also proposed a system for citizen reporting of illegal placard parking, according to campaign materials.[2]
Homelessness
Coleman's campaign platform includes supporting a housing-first approach to addressing homelessness. Campaign materials reference support for Safe Haven shelters, transitional housing programs, expansion of psychiatric facilities, and increased supportive housing access.[2][5]
Small business support
To address commercial vacancies, Coleman's campaign materials propose reforms to the outdoor dining program, implementation of a vacancy tax on empty storefronts, and property tax code modifications for mixed-use buildings.[2]
Personal life
Coleman lives in Tribeca with his wife Jessica and their pets.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Daly, Adam (2025-04-16). "2025 Election: Who's running in Manhattan's heated City Council District 1 primary race? | amNewYork". www.amny.com. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 "City Council Primary 2025: Jess Coleman". Tribeca Citizen. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
- ↑ Hoffman, Jan (2024-07-09). "States and Creditors for Purdue Pharma Threaten Sacklers With Gush of Lawsuits". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Brenzel, Kathryn (2024-12-09). "City of Yes vote emboldens City Council challenger in Manhattan". The Real Deal. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Opinion: Reviving NYC through bold progressive action". City & State NY. 2024-12-06. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
- ↑ McDonough, Annie (2024-08-07). "NYC Council Member Chris Marte likely to face 2025 YIMBY challenge". City & State NY. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
- ↑ "NYC Campaign Finance Board: Campaign Finance Summary". nyccfb.info. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
- ↑ Marcinuk, Steve (2025-02-18). "City Council Candidate Advocates for a 'City of Yes' as the Key to Manhattan's Housing Future". KeyCrew. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
- ↑ "What's At Stake Here? New Yorkers Debate Congestion Pricing". Empire State Tribune. 2023-03-06. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
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