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Sharif Street
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 educationBorn 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 involvementThroughout 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] CareerAs 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 SenateStreet 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]
Pennsylvania Democratic PartyIn 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 electionOn 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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