New York's 30th State Senate district is one of 63 districts in the New York State Senate. It has been represented by Democrat Cordell Cleare since 2021.
District 30 is primarily based in Harlem in northern Manhattan, but also includes portions of East Harlem, the Upper West Side, Morningside Heights, Hamilton Heights, and Washington Heights.
The district overlaps with New York's 10th, 12th, and 13th congressional districts, and with the 67th, 68th, 69th, 70th, 71st, and 72nd districts of the New York State Assembly.
Then-incumbent senator Brian Benjamin resigned in 2021 after being appointed by Kathy Hochul as Lieutenant Governor of New York, rooting from the resignation of Andrew Cuomo. The special election was held on the same day as general citywide elections, including the mayoral, city council and borough presidential elections.
In special elections for state legislative offices, primaries are usually not held - county committee members for each party select nominees.