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Sharif Street

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Sharif Street
Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
June 18, 2022 (2022-06-18)
Preceded byNancy Patton Mills
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate
from the 3rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2017
Preceded byShirley Kitchen
Personal details
Born (1974-03-29) March 29, 1974 (age 50)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
RelativesJohn F. Street (father)
Milton Street (uncle)
EducationMorehouse College (BA)
University of Pennsylvania (JD)

Sharif Street (born March 29, 1974) is an American politician and attorney. He is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate who has represented the 3rd district since 2017.[1] In 2018, Street was elected Vice-Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party under Chairwoman Nancy Patton Mills of Allegheny County, and was elected Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party on June 18, 2022, the first person of color to fill that role.[2]

Street is a supporter of criminal justice reform, environmentally-friendly energy production, cannabis legalization, and equity education finance.[3]

Early life and education

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Born and raised in North Philadelphia, Street is the son of former Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street and the nephew of former State Senator Milton Street.[4] His mother Helen Street was a teacher at Sheridan Elementary in Kensington.[5] Street graduated from Central High School where he was the student body president[5] and ran track and field.[6] He attended Morehouse College, serving as president of the student senate.[5] After earning a Bachelor of Arts in business administration with a concentration in finance, he received his Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law in 1999.[7][8] During law school, he was the president of the Penn Law Democrats.[5]

Early political involvement

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Throughout the early 2000s, Street was known for his cultural pride and long locks, which he kept even while campaigning.[9] During the 2000 presidential election, Street was a Pennsylvania state co-chair of GoreNet.[10] GoreNet was a group that supported the Al Gore campaign with a focus on grassroots and online organizing, as well as hosting small-dollar donor events.[11] In 2004, Street was elected as a Delegate to the Democratic National Convention committed to John Kerry for President.[12]

Career

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As a student at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, Street directed a Town Watch group in Philadelphia and has continued to serve the community in numerous positions since, starting both Philadelphia Green Communities and Urban Solution, serving as managing director of the Housing Association of Delaware Valley; serving on the board of the North Central Philadelphia Empowerment Zone's Housing Trust Fund; the North Central Empowerment Zone's Community Advisory Committees for Housing, Crime, Public Safety and Economic Development; and current member of Philadelphia's African and Caribbean Immigrant Affairs Commission. He also served as Chief Legislative Advisor to the Democratic Chair of the Housing and Urban Development Committee, Senator Shirley Kitchen.[13]

Pennsylvania State Senate

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Street was elected to the State Senate in 2016.[14] He currently serves as a member of the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing and the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee.[15][16]

Street has proclaimed to be an advocate of cannabis reform and announced a bipartisan legalization bill in 2023. [17] In September, 2023, Street voted against Senate Bill 733 when it was considered in appropriations, which would expand the number of licenses for the medical marijuana program without providing any patient reforms. [18] However, the next day Street introduced a home grow amendment to allow patients to grow, then withdrew the home grow amendment and voted affirmatively on an amendment offered by Republican State Senator Chris Gebhard, who was also sponsor for the bill. [19]

Committee assignments[20]

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  • Agriculture and Rural Affairs
  • Appropriations
  • Banking and Insurance, Democratic Chair
  • Local Government
  • State Government, Democratic Chair

Pennsylvania Democratic Party

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In 2022, Street was elected Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party after serving as vice-chair to Chairwoman Nancy Patton Mills of Allegheny County.[21]

2022 U.S. Senate election

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On April 1, 2021, Street filed as a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania.[22] He ended his campaign in January 2022.[23]

References

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  1. ^ Scott, Emily (January 8, 2017). "Sharif Street celebrates state senatorship on Main Campus". The Temple News. Archived from the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  2. ^ "Leadership". Pennsylvania Democratic Party. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  3. ^ Baer, John (June 29, 2018). "Sharif Street is on a mission for criminal justice reform | John Baer". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  4. ^ Colaneri, Katie (January 15, 2016). "Sharif Street launches Pa. Senate bid". WHYY Newsworks. Archived from the original on June 9, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d Baer, John M. (March 25, 2002). "Young Street challenges canny foe". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 9. ProQuest 1891539058.
  6. ^ Nolan, Jim (June 15, 2001). "Mayor's son proves acorn doesn't fall far from the tree". Philadelphia Daily News. ProQuest 1886068708.
  7. ^ "Sharif Street | Senate District 3". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  8. ^ Wilson, Kendall (June 18, 1999). "Following father's success". Philadelphia Tribune. ProQuest 337760334.
  9. ^ "Length Matters". mycitypaper.com. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  10. ^ "GoreNet State Co-Chairs". Gore 2000. August 15, 2000. Archived from the original on August 15, 2000. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  11. ^ "GoreNet: A Network of Young Americans Dedicated to Al Gore President". Gore 2000. August 15, 2000. Archived from the original on August 15, 2000. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  12. ^ "2004 Democratic National Convention". C-SPAN. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  13. ^ "Sharif Street legislative biography". Senate of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  14. ^ "Pennsylvania 3rd District State Senate Results: Sharif Street Wins". The New York Times. November 8, 2016. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  15. ^ "Members of the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing". Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  16. ^ "Members of the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee". Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  17. ^ "Street, Laughlin Introduce Bipartisan Approach to Marijuana Legalization in PA". May 19, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  18. ^ "Roll Call: PA SB773 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session".
  19. ^ "Roll Call: PA SB773 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session".
  20. ^ "Senator Sharif Street". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  21. ^ "Sharif Street elected Vice-Chair of Pennsylvania Democratic Party". Archived from the original on March 4, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  22. ^ "FEC Form 2 for Report FEC-1506980". Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  23. ^ Terruso, Julia (January 19, 2022). "SEIU endorses Malcolm Kenyatta's bid for U.S. Senate". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
[edit]
Pennsylvania State Senate
Preceded by Member of the Pennsylvania Senate
from the 3rd district
2017-present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party
2022–present 		Incumbent
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