The National Institute for Reproductive Health’s Political Action Committee is proud to share our endorsements for the 2024 election cycle. This year’s endorsements went out to candidates who are dedicated to fighting for reproductive rights in their districts.
STATE SENATE
SARAH
ANKER
Full bio:
Anker is a challenger against Republican incumbent Palumbo in the 1st district (Long Island). They have served as a Suffolk County Legislator, and while in office was Chair of the Health Committee and member of the Teen Pregnancy Advisory Board. Furthermore, they were a founding member of Long Island’s National Women’s Political Caucus, which Anker describes as an organization focusing on reproductive rights.
MONICA
MARTINEZ
Full bio:
Monica R. Martinez has devoted her life to public service, rooted in the belief that if individuals are given the opportunity to thrive through education and information, every dream can become a reality. In 2010, after serving as a High School teacher, Martinez was selected to lead the administration of Brentwood’s East Middle School as Assistant Principal, where she dedicated much of her time to enriching the lives of her students.
Martinez’s public service career began as a Suffolk County Legislator in 2014. During her five-year tenure, she championed animal rights, recognizing that addressing animal cruelty can help prevent other serious crimes, such as drug rings and domestic violence. She also secured funding for anti-gang programs, addressed environmental injustices in Brentwood and Central Islip, advocated for animal rights and established Suffolk County’s first Child Care Commission. Her commitment to education led her to secure a $125,000 grant for a STEM research program.
In 2018, Martinez was elected to the New York State Senate, where she quickly made her mark by sponsoring 80 bills in her first legislative session, with 19 signed into law. Her legislative work has focused on women’s health, public safety and environmental protection. She played a key role in outlawing the dissemination of intimate images without consent, enhancing background check requirements to improve our gun safety laws and co-sponsoring major environmental legislation.
Elected in 2022 to represent the newly drawn Fourth Senatorial District, Martinez continued her advocacy with a focus on public safety and environmental sustainability. In 2023, she championed the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act to address pollution and protect local water resources. Additionally, Monica introduced legislation to criminalize the threat of disseminating intimate images, building on her prior work to protect victims from online harassment. Throughout her tenure, Senator Martinez has tirelessly fought to ensure that our schools receive full funding and remains deeply connected to the communities she serves.
IWEN
CHU
Full bio:
Senator Iwen Chu is the first Asian American to serve Brooklyn in the New York State Legislature.
Iwen came to New York with 2 pieces of luggage and the drive to pursue her American Dream. While studying for her Master of Sociology from CUNY Brooklyn College, she fell in love with New York’s diverse, vibrant cultures and all our city has to offer. Born and raised in Taiwan, she dedicated herself to the communities of southern Brooklyn and planted roots with her husband and daughter in Dyker Heights. Iwen has brought that dedication to the State Senate.
Senator Chu ensured that the needs of her district were heard loud and clear in Albany and will continue to fight for and represent the families and residents of Sunset Park, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Kensington in the New York State Senate.
LIZ KRUEGER
Full bio:
Senator Liz Krueger has served in the New York State Senate since 2002 and is currently the Chair of the Senate Finance Committee. As Chair, she addresses all issues facing New Yorkersthrough the budget process, and she focuses much of her legislative agenda on addressing the climate crisis. A champion for reproductive rights, she is the primary sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment in New York and co-founded the Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus. Krueger is also a strong advocate for affordable housing, tenant rights, and healthcare access. Prior to her Senate career, she was the founding Director of the NYC Food Bank and Associate Director of the Community Food Resource Center.
SHELLEY MAYER
Full bio:
Shelley Mayer has spent my adult life as an advocate for New Yorkers. She was first elected to represent the 37th Senate District in an April 2018 Special Election. Prior to that she served in the State Assembly for six years, representing much of the City of Yonkers. In these roles, she has always felt an immense sense of duty to ensure working people, and everyday people, have a voice in the NYS Legislature. She has been a longtime champion of the rights secured by Roe v. Wade, long before being an elected official. 30 years ago she was one of two lead attorneys on critical reproductive health care access cases brought by then Attorney General Bob Abrams, fighting against those who blockaded abortion clinics. Mayer has been publicly involved with numerous groups in her community fighting to maintain abortion rights and justice for over 40 years.
YVETTE VALDÉS SMITH
SD39 – Hudson Valley, Challenger
Full bio:
Raised in Puerto Rico by her mother, a school teacher, and her father, a small business owner, Yvette Valdés Smith learned early on the value of service and giving back to her community.
As a former public-school teacher and proud union member, Yvette currently serves her neighbors as Minority Leader of the Dutchess County Legislature. She has proposed legislation to reduce the county sales tax, to cut property taxes and to protect our environment. Yvette is committed to making government accessible for all and to pass legislation that improves everyone’s quality of life.
In addition to her work in the legislature, Yvette also serves on the Executive Board of Directors for Stony Kill Farm and on the Advisory Committee for Vote Mama.
Yvette lives in Fishkill with her husband and two sons, who are enrolled in local public schools.
PETER HARCKHAM
SD40 – Hudson Valley, Incumbent
Full bio:
Pete Harckham was elected to the New York State Senate in November 2018, and re-elected in 2020 and 2022—the culmination so far of a distinguished career in public service. Currently, he is chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee.
Through his two full terms in office, Harckham has become one of the most productive members of the New York State Senate. He worked to make the 2% Property Tax Cap permanent; delivered record aid to education; and addressed the opioid crisis by doubling minimum treatment times and reducing barriers to life saving treatment.
Well-regarded as a champion of the environment, Harckham helped pass the toughest climate protection legislation in the nation, and also introduced legislation, later enacted, requiring all new passenger car and truck sales to be zero emission by 2035 and allowing municipalities to build solar canopies and jumpstart community renewable energy projects. Last year, Governor Kathy Hochul placed Harckham’s landmark wetlands legislation protecting Class C streams statewide, which will safeguard fragile drinking water resources, into her proposed 2023 State Budget.
Additionally, Harckham has been a leading voice to hold the utilities accountable in the wake of failed responses to natural disasters, and has been there for residents during the Covid-19 pandemic. To date, he has held 20 food drives to fight hunger, assisted thousands of residents with unemployment claims and delivered PPE to first responders and municipalities throughout the 40th Senate District.
In 2015, Harckham was appointed Assistant Director of the Office of Community Renewal, responsible for the rollout and implementation of a special allotment of $4.3M in CDBG funding for Westchester municipalities. Afterwards, he served for two years as the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge project.
From 2008 to 2015 Harckham served on the Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL), where he was a leading voice for protecting the environment, maintaining vital services and investing in our families. He was the BOL’s Majority Leader from 2010 through 2013.
Before being elected to the BOL, Harckham served as board president of A-HOME, a not-for-profit housing corporation that builds affordable housing in northern Westchester, and worked as a communications professional on Madison Avenue for major advertising agencies. He also helmed his own communications and marketing firm, and founded K&E Farms, a small horse farm in Katonah, NY, where he donated conservation easements from the farm to the Westchester Land Trust. Both his prior residence and farm were converted to solar power.
In addition to his professional work, Harckham served on the President’s Council for the Northern Westchester Hospital, was a board member for the United Way of Westchester and Putnam, the Junior League of Northern Westchester Community Advisory Council and the Livable Communities Council.
Today, Pete resides in South Salem, NY with his partner of many years Jin-Hee Stevens. He is the proud father of two adult daughters, Emma and Kate.
MICHELLE HINCHEY
SD41 – Hudson Valley, Incumbent
Full bio:
Michelle Hinchey ran for office in 2020 with one goal: to be a strong voice for the Hudson Valley communities she calls home. As the youngest woman to represent an Upstate district, she’s hit the ground running, with 75 bills signed into law in just three years!
Whether she’s holding polluters accountable, taking on utility companies, or fighting to make life more affordable, Senator Hinchey is all about getting things done. Following in her father’s footsteps, she’s proud to carry on his legacy of service and standing up for what’s right, for everyone in the Hudson Valley.
JAMES SKOUFIS
SD42 – Hudson Valley, Incumbent
Full bio:
James Skoufis and his family moved to the Town of Woodbury from Queens in 1995 for many of the same reasons we all choose to live in the Hudson Valley: a better quality of life, an education that strives for nothing short of excellence, and a strong, friendly, and caring community. The son of a Greek immigrant and a union postal worker, James worked his way through school. After graduating from Monroe-Woodbury High School, James went on to become the first in his immediate family to attend college, earning a Bachelor’s Degree from The George Washington University and Master’s Degree from Columbia University.
Having spent the first many years of his life in New York City Public Housing and being only one generation removed from food stamps, James understands what the uncertainty of tomorrow feels like. He knows the experience of living paycheck to paycheck and is committed to creating opportunities that allow everyday New Yorkers to not only live, but thrive. During his six years in the State Assembly, James fought for the Hudson Valley’s working- and middle-classes. He’s been a champion of better schools, stronger infrastructure, leveling the playing field, and fighting corruption. James was first elected to the State Senate in 2018, and soon took over chairmanship of the Investigations and Government Operations Committee, where he continues to deliver results for his Hudson Valley constituents while serving with integrity. James lives in Cornwall with his wife, Hillary, and loving daughter, Ava, born in 2021.
ALVIN GAMBLE
Full bio:
When Alvin Gamble was five years old, his parents moved to the Cook Park area of Colonie, NY. Alvin enjoyed playing baseball at Babe Ruth Park, bowling at Red Wood Bowling Lanes, and playing his favorite sport, basketball, at Colonie Village Community Center. There was no better enjoyment than having a fish fry at L-Kens Fish Fry after a game. Even though some of these establishments have left, his memories will last forever.
Alvin’s first job as a teenager was working for the Parks and Recreation Department of Colonie where he learned many life skills that carried on into his adult life. His hard work and dedication paid off because he retained that job every summer until he graduated from Colonie Central High School in the Class of 1979.
Alvin went to SUNY Brockport and pursued a dual-major in Criminal Justice and Sociology. After graduating in 1983, Alvin began his union career at the National Grid energy company, previously known as Niagara Mohawk. Sometime later, Alvin applied to and was accepted as a candidate to the New York State Trooper Academy. He made many friends and connections but ultimately chose to continue pursuing his union career. Alvin has enjoyed a very fulfilling and long career in the natural gas division where he has worked for 41 years helping to develop and replace the gas pipeline infrastructure in the Capital District. Alvin enjoys the work he does and the lifelong friendships he has made with the men and women he works with.
Alvin is a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 97 (IBEW 97) . He feels that his knowledge and expertise, as it relates to infrastructure, can be utilized at the State level during a time of great need for infrastructure restoration, expansion and hardening to safeguard against a changing climate and need for resiliency.
Alvin has been blessed with a loving wife, Abbey, who also works in the public service field, as a Registered Nurse (RN). They have two beautiful children: his daughter Dominique (currently an Occupational Therapist) and Jordan (currently in college).
Lastly, one of Alvin’s most passionate callings is being an Ordained Deacon at his Church in Albany, NY. He believes that ‘loving your neighbor as thyself’ is the core root of a good community.
MINITA SANGHVI
SD44 – Hudson Valley, Challenger
Full bio:
A parent, educator, and fiscally responsible public servant, Minita Sanghvi is a problem solver who focuses on results, not partisan politics.
Born to a conservative family of entrepreneurs and innovators in India, Minita was taught by her parents to work hard, stand up for others, and serve her community. After earning a degree in accounting and an MBA, and working in advertising, Minita immigrated to the United States in 2001 because America offered her the opportunity to be herself and pursue her dream of getting married and raising a family.
Minita worked as an Assistant Manager at WalMart, doing everything from developing photos and making paint to managing the cash and inventory, and later worked in corporate marketing and started her own business while earning her PhD in business and economics.
Always getting involved in helping create opportunities for others and making her community a better place to live, Minita found her passion in educating college students. She’s been teaching business at Skidmore College now for nearly ten years, challenging her students to learn and improve.
While teaching, Minita authored two books, became even more involved in giving back to the community that has given her so much by serving on the Library Board and the Human Rights Task Force, and she has been raising a young son with her wife, Megan.
Minita earned the trust of her neighbors in 2021 and was elected to serve as the Saratoga Springs Finance Commissioner, where she has been called the “voice of reason” on the council for her problem-solving, fiscally responsible approach, and lauded for her proven record of listening to residents and taking action to deliver results. Now, Minita is running for State Senate because our region needs a leader with the right priorities in Albany who will put people ahead of politics and get things done to create economic opportunities for a better future and to protect freedoms for residents, no matter where they live.
PATRICIA FAHY
Full bio:
First elected in 2012, Pat Fahy, in her role in the State Assembly represents the entire City of Albany, Town of New Scotland, and part of the Town of Guilderland. A leading advocate for job creation, environmental conservation, and quality education, Pat has been the prime sponsor of over 200 bills – more than 70 of which have been signed into law including: the nation’s first Gun Industry Liability Law to hold gun manufacturers accountable for their role in the gun violence crisis; the nation’s first Right to Repair legislation, establishing a 30×30 conservation goal in New York State to conserve 30 percent of land and water by 2030; and examining modification or replacement of part(s) of I-787 in downtown Albany to expand waterfront access and development.
Pat has also introduced legislation to help accelerate the state’s transition to clean and renewable energy; expand and modernize New York’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC); and tackle the growing threat of plastic pollution and industry’s rising carbon emissions.
Pat serves as the Chair of the Assembly’s Higher Education Committee and serves on four additional committees, including Environmental Conservation, Codes, Economic Development, and Tourism. Pat was awarded Freshman Legislator of the Year by the New York State School Boards Association during her first term in office and the Advocate for Choice award by Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood. In 2017, she was awarded the “Promoting Excellence in Mandated Representation” Award by the New York State Bar Association for her Indigent Legal Services (ILS) legislation funding and creating caseload standards. In 2019, she received the New York Library Association’s (NYLA) Senator Hugh Farley Award for help securing a $20 million restoration of capital funding, and the New York State Industries for the Disabled’s (NYSID) Legislative Champion Award for work on behalf of individuals living with developmental disabilities. In 2022, Pat was named the Environmental Champion of the Year by the New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) and Legislative Champion by the Environmental Advocates of New York (EANY).
Prior to her election, Pat served as Associate Commissioner of Intergovernmental Affairs and Federal Policy in the New York State Department of Labor, where she advocated for federal economic stimulus funds, extended unemployment benefits, and youth training initiatives. Pat is a former elected member of the Albany School Board. She serves on the Board of Directors of the UAlbany Center for Women in Government & Civil Society, and previously served on the Board of the Boys and Girls Club of Albany.
Before moving to Albany, Pat served as the Executive Director of the Chicago Workforce Board. Prior to her work in Chicago, she spent nine years in Washington D.C., including: in the Clinton Administration as the Associate Director for Employment and Training in the Congressional Affairs Office of the U.S. Department of Labor under Secretary Robert Reich; as a legislative analyst in the U.S. House and Senate; and as a Presidential Management Intern in the Department of the Treasury.
Pat is married to Wayne Bequette, a professor at RPI in Troy, NY. They live in the City of Albany where they raised their two children. She has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Northern Illinois University.
RACHEL MAY
SD48 – Southern Tier, Incumbent
Full bio:
Rachel May began serving Central New York as State Senator in 2019, the year the state legislature finally codified abortion rights in state law. She has been a consistent champion for reproductive and maternal health. As Chair of the committee on upstate cities, she also prioritizes fighting child poverty, advocating for more quality, affordable housing, and protecting the remarkable fresh water resources of the Finger Lakes region. She is a a mother, a former college professor with a background in both humanities and sciences, and a long-time community activist.
MICHELE FRAZIER
SD51 – Hudson Valley, Challenger
Full bio:
Michele grew up in her family’s flower and greenhouse business in Oneonta – one of the largest geranium growers in the state. A former Oneonta City Council member, Michele now lives in Delhi where she is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at SUNY Delhi. She lives with her spouse and three sons, two of whom are neurodivergent. Michele is also a Real Estate Agent for a locally owned real estate company. It was in this family business surrounded by acres of flowers, where Michele learned from an early age that everyone deserves to grow in their gardens and flourish. Today, as a boomerang New Yorker, that means Michele is ready to fight for rural New Yorkers when it comes to planting their roots, growing their families and tending to their communities.
LEA
WEBB
Full bio:
Senator Lea Webb Bio 2024 Lea Webb was born and raised in Binghamton and is a lifelong resident of the Southern Tier. Webb is a proud graduate of public schools and a first generation graduate of SUNY Broome and Binghamton University. Before joining the Senate, she worked as an educator at Binghamton University, where she developed diversity and inclusion training and programs for faculty, staff, and students to advance its goals of fostering diversity and inclusivity.
In 2007, Lea Webb was elected to Binghamton’s City Council, the first Black person to serve on the council. Webb served her community for 8 years, working to strengthen her community, from removing blighted properties and supporting their redevelopment into homes for her community to addressing food insecurity by establishing community gardens. She has passed legislation supporting equal pay for women, creating a city-based human rights commission, establishing a city-wide climate action plan, and supporting small business development and job creation.
In 2022, Senator Lea Webb was elected to represent the newly drawn 52nd Senate District, which includes all of Cortland and Tompkins Counties, and part of Broome County. She was sworn into office in January of 2024 as part of a historic class of incoming Democratic senators made up entirely of women for the first time in the 245-year history of the New York Senate. Senator Webb passed 43 bills through both houses during her first term, over 25 of which have already been signed into law. She serves as chair of the Senate Committee on Women’s Issues, where she works tirelessly to pass legislation addressing a wide range of issues impacting women, including menstrual product accessibility, improved maternity health services, reinforced reproductive rights, enhanced protection against fibroids and ovarian cancer, and stringent measures to prevent human trafficking.
Senator Webb has secured record funding for the district, including $200,000 for youth education programming across the district, $300,000 to support EMS in Tompkins County, $125,000 for the Ross Park Zoo in Binghamton, $250,000 for the Lime Hollow Nature Center in Cortland County, and more. During her first term, Webb voted to advance a Constitutional Amendment to always protect a woman’s right to choose, passed groundbreaking legislation to protect our access to clean water and air, and expanded school lunch in public schools and free universal pre-k. She also passed legislation through the budget to increase the TAP award to help more students afford college. In addition to all these important pieces of legislation, she tackled many local issues, including passing legislation to ban CO2 fracking and saving Roosevelt Elementary and the Ithaca Carshare.
As a life-long community organizer, Senator Webb believes deeply in expanding opportunities for civic engagement. She is a national trainer with Vote Run Lead, training thousands of women across the country on how to run for elected office. She is a Co-Chair/Co-Founder of the Black Millennial Political Convention and a Founding Board Member of Local Progress. Lea was honored with the President’s Award by the Broome-Tioga Branch of the NAACP for her significant contributions to her community.
JAMES MEYERS
Full bio:
James Meyers and his sister grew up in a working-class household. Their dad dedicated his career to working with developmentally disabled individuals, and my mom was a social worker. After high school, Meyers attended SUNY Brockport on an ROTC Scholarship, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in History and commissioning as an Intelligence Officer in the Active Duty Army. He served for four years, leading soldiers at Ft. Gordon, Georgia, and overseas. After transitioning to the Army Reserve, he joined Alion Science and Technology in 2015 and earned a Master’s Degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University in 2020.
Living in Central New York has enriched his life. He built a career, made lasting friendships, and found a true home here. As a Program Manager and Major in the Army Reserve, Meyers brings service, leadership, and diverse experience to this office. He is committed to ensuring everyone in his district has a voice and pledge to always be available to hear their concerns.
Meyers is running for the 53rd New York State Senate District to bring a fresh approach to representing New Yorkers in their state government. As a veteran with a strong background in service and leadership, he is committed to making Central New York an ideal place to build a family and a future. He believes in transparency, accountability, and prioritizing the needs of my constituents. Meyers is a strong advocate for public safety, economic development, and accessible and affordable healthcare. When elected as your next New York State Senator, he will work to make the 53rd District a place where everyone can thrive. Meyers believes it’s time to build a Central New York that works for all of us.
SCOTT COMEGYS
SD54 – Western Tier, Challenger
Full bio:
Scott is a community leader dedicated to seeing the people of the Finger Lakes thrive.
For the past 6 years Scott has been standing up for our communities, organizing with people, and leading a movement to get past the partisan fighting that has been holding all of us back and get us moving forward again to becoming something better-
A great community where everyone can successfully live the lives they choose as their genuine selves with dignity, prosperity, and security
To meet that goal our people need representatives who will work for them, with them, and include them in how we progress. To achieve this at the state level Scott is running to serve the People of Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, and Wayne counties in the New York State Senate.
SAMRA BROUK
Full bio:
Senator Samra Brouk was elected to represent New York’s 55th Senate District in November 2020, making her the first Black woman from Upstate New York and the first Black person from the Greater Rochester Area to serve in the New York State Senate. The 55th Senate District includes the City of Rochester’s east side and several towns throughout Monroe County.
JEREMY COONEY
Full bio:
Adopted by a single mom from an orphanage in Kolkata, India, Jeremy made history as the first Asian-American elected to state office from Upstate New York. He was raised in the City of Rochester, where he graduated from public schools. He is the first and only RCSD graduate in the State Senate in decades. Jeremy went on to earn his B.A. with honors from Hobart & William Smith Colleges and his J.D. from Albany Law School. He is married to Dr. Diane Lu, a surgeon with the University of Rochester Medical Center. Together they reside in the City of Rochester.
Jeremy was elected to the Senate in 2020, representing the 56th District. Since taking office, he has had a record of delivering results for Monroe County families. He secured tax cuts for middle class New Yorkers, delivered record investments for schools, and in 2022 he authored the New York CHIPS Act, creating an economic development program that led to Micron and other semiconductor companies bringing thousands of jobs to communities across Upstate. In 2024, Jeremy was named Chairman of the Transportation Committee, pledging renewed investment in roads and bridges, expanding access to public transit, and a vision for finally achieving high speed rail in New York.
Jeremy is active in our community as a member of his neighborhood association and the Monroe County Democratic Committee. He also sits on the Board of Trustees for Hobart & William Smith Colleges, the Vestry of Christ Church Rochester, and serves as a Vice Chair of the Executive Board for the Seneca Waterways Council, BSA, as a proud Eagle Scout. Jeremy is married to Dr. Diane Lu, a surgeon with the University of Rochester Medical Center. Together they reside in the City of Rochester.
KRISTEN GONZALEZ
SD59 – Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Incumbent
Full bio:
Kristen Gonzalez is a tech worker, community organizer, and born-and-raised New Yorker, running for State Senate to win a dignified life for all New Yorkers. On August 23rd she won the Democratic primary with 58% of the vote to become the Democratic Nominee for State Senate District 59.
Kristen was raised in a one-bedroom apartment in Elmhurst, Queens by a single mom from Puerto Rico. After her father from Colombia passed away, Kristen watched her mother struggle to give her a shot at a better life. Like many families in this city, her mom worked multiple jobs to keep them afloat until finally landing a good, union job in New York City’s public schools as a special education paraprofessional.
Kristen’s mother emphasized education as the path to a better life and secured her a scholarship to Dalton, a prep school on the Upper East Side, after seeing that the local public school was underfunded and overcrowded. For years, Kristen commuted between the New York that she knew, which was immigrant and working class, and a New York where she saw the rich and well-connected have every opportunity and resource available.
This is what set Kristen on a path to public service: her belief that all New Yorkers deserve a path to a better future, that families shouldn’t have to struggle the way hers did, and that we shouldn’t have to travel to get a better education.
That’s why from a young age, she started fighting for a New York that works for all of us. Kristen organized at her high school, at Columbia as a first-generation, low-income student, and on the Young Women’s Advisory Council for New York City Council writing policy recommendations. When she got the opportunity to work at the Obama White House and in Senator Schumer’s office in D.C., she dropped out of college and moved for the opportunity to represent her community.
The experience of working in DC taught Kristen that the system is rigged — that our politicians are bought out by special interests, and that they don’t represent us. To win a better New York, we need an organized movement of people and leaders with real, on-the-ground organizing experience fighting for us. After returning from D.C., Kristen finished her degree, started working in tech as a product manager, and started organizing in the communities that she grew up in.
Since then, Kristen served on her local community board, launched a citywide campaign for public internet, fought for campaigns to lower our rents, tackled the climate crisis by taking on a fracked gas power plant in Astoria, and started mutual aid networks in the pandemic.
In Albany, she’ll continue fighting alongside tenants in StuyTown, organizers in Greenpoint, educators in Astoria, and working-class people across our three boroughs. A better future is possible — one worth fighting for. And it’s going to take all of us to get there.
APRIL MCCANTIS-BASKIN
SD63 – Western Tier, Challenger
Full bio:
April N. McCants-Baskin Bio April N. McCants-Baskin serves as the Chairwoman of the County Legislature in Erie County, New York. As a racial equity strategist, April specializes in identifying pathways for economic empowerment in underserved communities through legislative processes and government policy. April has been at the forefront of transformative legislation across the Upstate New York region. She has garnered a reputation as a fearless, vocal advocate of change for people of color, women, and small business owners. April was elected to the County Legislature in 2017. Upon being sworn into office in 2018, she was immediately elected the Democratic Majority Leader by her caucus peers.
In 2019, April was promoted to Legislature Chairman, making her the youngest person in history to serve as Legislature Chair, and the only freshman Legislator to be elected Chairman in their first term. April has been re-elected Chairman from 2020 to present day. In the wake of the racially motivated mass shooting at a grocery store in an economically impoverished Black community in Buffalo on May 14, 2022, April’s priorities shifted, and her perspective re-awakened to the economic inequities within the Black community. Upon learning of the horrifying attack, she felt helpless, but resolved to look within herself to find the power to truly make a difference. The racially targeted mass shooting was a catalyst for change and inspired April’s call to action to economically empower and enrich the lives of people within Black and Brown communities. In that moment, she re-defined herself as an elected official and her journey as a policymaker and strategist who sought to develop policies through a racial equity lens emerged.
As a multi-faceted community leader, April has honed her skills as a strategist and has established a solid track-record of progressive victories. She empowers Black entrepreneurs and businesses to thrive, rather than just survive. As the architect of Buffalo & Erie County’s first NFL Community Benefits Agreement, Baskin led the charge during the statewide advocacy campaign attached to the new stadium deal between Erie County, New York State and the Buffalo Bills National Football League team in 2023. Her leadership and advocacy during the negotiations of this deal landed Erie County residents a National Football League Community Benefits Agreement, which includes an equitable inclusion of marginalized business owners during both the construction and new stadium operations phases and a community investment of $100 million dollars. After laying the groundwork and negotiating the Buffalo Bills Community Benefits Agreement for the residents of Erie County, April was inspired to create a county government social services program for marginalized businesses owners.
April launched the Level Up initiative in 2023 as a pilot program to provide wraparound services and private sector corporate contract opportunities for business owners from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Level Up initiative expands on regional and national government-led MBE policies by including direct access to capacity-based contract opportunities for marginalized owners looking to scale and develop CSuite networks. Baskin’s ingenuity has propelled the Level Up initiative to new highlights as new partnerships and opportunities continue to evolve across New York State. April is proud to have sponsored and passed more than a dozen laws during her County Legislature tenure, including the Erie County Office of Health Equity Act, Erie County Fair Housing Act, Erie County Corrections Specialist Advisory Law, Erie County Minority & Women Modernization Act and the Erie County Public Art Act. April has been honored with multi-year mentions on the City & State Upstate Power 100 List, Buffalo Business First Power Women 200 List, Buffalo Business First Power Politician List, as an ATHENA award finalist, and has received many awards from New York State organizations, including the Buffalo Urban League, the Buffalo Black Achievers organization and Buffalo Business First Women of Purpose honoree for 2023. In February 2024, April became the endorsed Democrat to seek candidacy for the 63rd District New York State Senate.
STATE ASSEMBLY
AMY
PAULIN
Full bio:
Assembly Member Amy Paulin has served the 88th New York State Assembly District (Scarsdale, Edgemont, Eastchester, Bronxville, Tuckahoe, Pelham, Pelham Manor, and parts of New Rochelle and White Plains) since 2001. She chairs the Assembly Committee on Health and serves on the Committees on Rules and Education.
A full-time legislator, Assembly Member Paulin annually ranks among the state’s most productive and successful lawmakers. Her diverse legislative agenda includes health care, education, reproductive rights, child welfare, support for families, domestic violence prevention, sex trafficking elimination, government reform, sustainability, animal welfare, and gun control. She served as the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Energy from 2013-2017, working to encourage renewable energy and ensure our electricity grid is reliable, and as the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions from 2018-2022, where she championed expanded broadband access, public transportation, and utility resiliency.
As one of the most prolific legislators in the Legislature, over 350 of her bills have been signed into law to date. Among her most important legislative accomplishments include writing and sponsoring the bill that eliminated the statute of limitations for rape, sponsoring the landmark Trafficking Victims Protection and Justice Act, which dramatically toughened penalties for traffickers and buyers while providing support to the victims of human trafficking to help rebuild their lives, and authoring the Birth Control Access Act, which greatly expanded access to birth control for New Yorkers by allowing pharmacists to both prescribe and dispense hormonal contraception.
Assembly Member Paulin has a long, distinguished record of activism in public policy and community issues. Prior to her election to the Assembly, Paulin served in a number of capacities, including Executive Director, My Sisters’ Place; Member, Scarsdale Village Board of Trustees; Founder and Chairwoman, Westchester Women’s Agenda; President, Westchester League of Women Voters; Vice President, NY State League of Women Voters; Citizen Member, County Board of Legislators’ Special Committee on Families; and Member, Board of Directors of WCLA – Choice Matters.
Assembly Member Paulin was inducted into the Westchester Women’s Hall of Fame by the Women’s Research and Education Fund, has been honored by the Federated Conservationists of Westchester County and the NYS Camp Directors Association, and has been named NYS Legislator of the Year by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and by the National Organization of Women of New York State. Among other citations and recognitions, she has received the Spirit of Independence Award from Westchester Disabled on the Move, an Ally Award from New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NYSCASA), Vision of the Community from the Scarsdale Teen Center, the Metropolitan Library Council (METRO) award for outstanding and dedicated service in support of libraries, The Loft LGBTQ+ Community Center Equality Award, an MVP award from the NYS Association of Counties, 2023 Legislator of the Year Award from the NYS Health Care Providers, 2023 Legislator of the Year Award of the New York State Society of Plastic Surgeons, the Rider’s Alliance 2023 Transit Champion Award,
and she has been named a Leader in the Fight against Domestic Violence by the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV).
Assembly Member Paulin was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, holds a Master’s degree, and has completed doctoral course work in Criminal Justice from SUNY-Albany. For over forty years she and her husband, Ira Schuman, have lived in Scarsdale, where they raised their children, Beth, Sarah, and Joey.
ADRIENNE MARTINI
AD122 – Central NY, Challenger
Full bio:
Adrienne Martini has served on the Otsego County Board of Representatives since 2018. She chairs the human services committee and serves on the Negotiations and Administration committees. The 12th District she represents includes Oneonta’s Wards 3 & 4. She is also the author of Somebody’s Gotta Do It: Why Cursing at the News Won’t Save the Nation, But Your Name on a Local Ballot Can, a book about running for and serving in local office.
JENNIFER LUNSFORD
Full bio:
Jen was elected to serve the people of the 135th district in 2020. Before taking office, Jen spent a decade in this community fighting for sick and injured workers as an attorney handling personal injury, workers’ compensation and social security disability matters. Through that work Jen represented people from all walks of life and helped them recover from injuries, retrain for new careers, and adjust to their new normal. Little did she know how well this work would train her for her first term in the state legislature. Jen was born on Long Island to two hardworking parents. Her father, a Vietnam War veteran and former NYPD officer, stayed home with her while her mother went to work at a manufacturing company. Jen graduated from Patchogue-Medford High School and went on to major in Political Science and Philosophy at Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York, where she graduated with honors. After college she moved to Los Angeles where she worked as a paralegal at the international law firm Sullivan & Cromwell. Jen returned to the east coast to attend law school at Boston University where she concentrated in healthcare law. While in law school Jen won the Dean’s Award for Constitutional Law and was appointed as an editor to the American Journal of Law and Medicine.
Following law school in 2009, Jen settled in Rochester to start her family and legal career. Soon after she was admitted to practice, Jen began volunteering in the community with a variety of organizations including the Rochester Teen Court, the Center for Youth’s Crisis Nursery, the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, Volunteer Legal Services Project, Empire Justice Center and the American Lung Association
Jen also served as the state co-chair of Lawyers for Good Government and as a board member for the Anthony Poselovich Foundation, helping local families with children suffering from cancer. Jen has dedicated her life to advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves. That skill and experience has proved indispensable in the legislature where Jen is able to continue that advocacy on a much grander scale.
JESSICA GONZALEZ-ROJAS
AD34 – Jackson Heights, NYC, Incumbent
Full bio:
New York State Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas represents the 34th Assembly District, which includes the diverse communities of Astoria, Corona, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Woodside in Queens county. She has dedicated her life to fighting for immigrant rights, racial justice, LGBTQ liberation, health care access, labor power, and gender equity while forging connections between various progressive movements. Jessica is a progressive champion and brings her advocacy and organizing expertise to her work as an Assemblymember.
In the recent budget season, Assembly Member González-Rojas assisted in securing $25 million for the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Fund which helps ensure access to necessary reproductive health care for all New Yorkers. As a major leader and proponent of securing access to health care for all, she also helped secure $8 million in the budget for continual coverage for children from birth to age 6 enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Since she assumed office in 2021, Assembly Member González-Rojas has introduced and passed several pieces of legislation on maternal health, transgender rights, transportation, election reform, worker protections, healthcare transparency, and more. She has also successfully advocated for funding in the state budget to increase outreach for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enrollment for hard-to-reach communities, assistance to homeowners impacted by Hurricane Ida, and to require private insurers to cover all abortions at no cost to patients.
Assembly Member González-Rojas is the Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Trafficking and the Climate Action and Environmental Justice Subcommittee of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) and If/When/How, a national nonprofit network of law students and lawyers committed to reproductive justice.
Before running for office, Jessica served in leadership for 13 years at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice (formerly the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health), including as Executive Director. The nonprofit is the only national reproductive justice organization dedicated to building power among Latinas to advance the health, dignity, and justice of over 30 million Latinas across the country.
Jessica is an Adjunct Professor of Clinical Law at New York University’s (NYU) School of Law, and previously taught at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and the City University of New York’s (CUNY) City College. She has taught courses on government, policy, Latinidad, reproductive rights, and gender and sexuality. She has authored essays in multiple publications on those topics as well. Jessica holds a master’s degree from the NYU Wagner School, with a concentration in Public and Nonprofit Management and Public Policy, a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Executive Leadership Program at the Columbia University Business School, and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Boston University, where she graduated cum laude. Jessica lives with her partner and their son in Jackson Heights.