Zellnor Myrie


Zellnor Myrie is an American politician from the state of New York. A member of the Democratic Party, he is a member of the New York State Senate for District 20, based in Brooklyn.

Early life and education

Myrie was born in Brooklyn, New York City to Costa Rican-born immigrant parents and raised in Prospect Lefferts Gardens. He graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School, and attended Fordham University, earning his undergraduate and master's degrees in urban studies. After graduate school, he earned his Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School where he served as student government president, prison law instructor, and pro bono scholar.

Early career

Before law school, Myrie worked for the New York City Council as a legislative director where he helped draft the Tenant Bill of Rights. After law school, he joined Davis Polk & Wardwell where he worked pro bono to fight police brutality, help special education students get services owed them by the Department of Education, aid victims of domestic violence, and assist asylum seekers.

Political career

In the 2018 elections, Myrie ran for New York State Senate in the 20th district. He challenged Jesse Hamilton, a former member of the Independent Democratic Conference, in the Democratic Party primary election. Myrie defeated Hamilton in the September primary, capturing 54% of the vote. Hamilton remained on the ballot in the November general election where Myrie defeated him again, capturing over 92% of the vote.
Myrie is chairperson of the Elections Committee in the New York State Senate. He supported the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019.
On May 30, 2020, Myrie was pepper-sprayed and handcuffed while taking part in protests over the death of George Floyd.