Senator Gaughran will not seek re-election to state Senate
Senator James Gaughran announced yesterday his plans to not seek re-election. Photo via www.nysenate.gov.
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New York State Senator (and Northport resident) James Gaughran announced yesterday that he will not seek re-election following the decennial redistricting process.
“When I first ran for the State Senate in 2016, I ran to break the logjam in Albany, to pass critical legislation that languished for decades under the Republican majority. Since taking office in 2018, we’ve done just that,” the senator said in an official statement.
Senator Gaughran listed his accomplishments in the last four sessions: with the help of his fellow senators, he said, he’s codified a woman’s right to seek an abortion; secured justice long overdue for survivors of child abuse; passed groundbreaking gun safety measures including a Red Flag Law, a Safe Storage Law and a ban on Ghost Guns; set nation-leading environmental standards and water protections; strengthened union protections, guaranteed a prevailing wage for public projects, and approved the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act; took on bias in the workplace, the housing market and public safety; and begun the process to get rid of PSEG’s mismanagement and bring Public Power back to Long Island.
“I’ve also personally chaptered over 70 bills into law and my office has helped thousands of constituents with every issue imaginable amidst an unprecedented pandemic,” he said.
“I’m proud of everything the Democratic Conference has accomplished under Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins’ leadership in just two terms, and I am confident that they will hold that majority moving forward. But the electoral realities of my home district as drawn by the Special Master cannot be ignored. After speaking with my family, friends, and colleagues, I look forward to serving my district, my constituents, and my state for the rest of my term.
“The unspeakable loss our state and our nation have shared in just the last two weeks demand action from our representatives in Washington," Senator Gaughran continued. "I also intend to spend the next five months working to elect Bridget Fleming and Jackie Gordon to Congress and helping any candidate – anywhere – that can bring the United States Senate to its senses. We’ve seen what inaction from Washington gets us. We’ve seen where the Supreme Court plans to take us. We all need to fight like hell for a better future. Our children deserve nothing less.”
