Following the resignation of Olamni Porter, who represented the City Council’s first district, last month, the remaining council Democrats have appointed a new member to fill the seat.

The appointee, Carla Murray ‘10, MSW ‘12, has lived in Binghamton for over 20 years and is the lead Diversity, Equity and Inclusion administrator with BOCES Professional Learning and Innovation Center at the Binghamton City School District. She formerly served as the community schools coordinator assigned to the school district and was sworn into the City Council at a special business meeting.

“As a mother of two, I am especially passionate about issues affecting youth and families, and I will use this platform to drive positive change,” Murray said in a press release. “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve my community and look forward to working collaboratively to meet the needs of residents in District 1.”

Concurrent with the mayoral election this November, a special election will be held, the winner taking office for the remainder of Porter’s term.

Murray, who was one of three names provided for consideration by the Binghamton City Democratic Committee, would also be one of three Binghamton University alumni sitting on the council, joining Nate Hotchkiss ‘12 and Hadassah Mativetsky ‘07, MS ‘12. Murray is also an alumna of SUNY Broome.

In an interview with Pipe Dream, Murray said that through her role as a school coordinator, she focused largely on students and families, knocking on doors with interns, and fostering connections with families. She ran focus groups and conducted needs assessments to understand their experiences better, bringing concerns to school representatives to form solutions.

“I believe that work really is rooted in advocacy. It’s rooted in centering and focusing on voices of constituents, not assuming that we know what people need but really making room and space for them to be able to articulate their experiences and then working collaboratively,” Murray said.

This advocacy work is at the core of her career, preparing her to move into the role on City Council, she added, planning to hear directly from First Ward residents, because she cannot assume she knows what their concerns and needs are.

After being asked to fill the vacancy, she said she feels committed to advocating for positive change within the community she has lived in for so long. She moved to Binghamton in 1998 and has been a resident of the First Ward since 2004.

Murray said she does not have a predetermined plan for the upcoming year because she is new to the role and the process. She is looking to see if the causes she is passionate about “align with that of the constituent,” saying she wants what she does in the position “to be grounded in what’s needed.”

“The thing that I think is really important here is that this City Council has once again demonstrated thoughtfulness and deep consideration in their decisions,” Teri Rennia, the chair of the Binghamton City Democrats, wrote to Pipe Dream. “They continue to do their due diligence in everything that they do in an effort to represent the needs of the residents of the City. It is refreshing after nearly a decade of a City Council serving only one person — the Mayor.”

At the time of his departure, Porter told WNBF that he was discouraged by the levels of political infighting among elected officials, saying that the “system is broken.”

In 2023, Democrats won a supermajority on the City Council, flipping the chamber from Republican control. The race between Democrat Rebecca Rathmell and Republican Philip Strawn for the Sixth Council District was tied, leading to a dispute over appointment power between the council and Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham.

Judge Joseph McBride eventually ruled in favor of the council but said the appointee must be of the same political party as the previous holder of the seat.

After a special election last November, Rathmell defeated Strawn.

“After speaking with multiple candidates, we are confident that Carla Murray stands out as the ideal representative for District 1,” said Council President Michael Dundon in a press release. “Carla has earned an exemplary reputation for her dedication to the community and has a proven track record of creating opportunities for Binghamton’s youth. I’m excited to work with her and warmly welcome her to this new chapter of public service on Binghamton’s City Council.”