Two familiar faces from the Mid-Hudson Valley region will compete for the 41st seat in the State Senate in November.
Sen. Michelle Hinchey is seeking a third term after serving the region since 2021, previously in the 46th District and currently in the 41st District. In November, she will face Republican and conservative candidate Patrick Sheehan, a 53-year-old real estate agent and volunteer firefighter from Kingston.
The 41st Senate District includes parts of Dutchess, Ulster, Columbia and Greene counties.
Michelle Hinchey (D)
Hinchey, 36, grew up in Saugerties. She is the daughter of former Congressman Maurice Hinchey.
Her resume includes leadership roles in both technology and media. She has served as an organizer for Environment New York and as a board member of the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development.
Problems:
-
Hinchey focuses her latest campaign on housing and affordability, the environment and health care.
-
She has touted her strong bipartisan record in the Senate and was the driving force behind a series of bills that passed unanimously, including bills aimed at expanding access to broadband and health care.
Patrick Sheehan (right)
Sheehan, a former Democrat, also ran for the 103rd District in 2022. In that race, he was defeated by Democrat Sarahana Shrestha.
Sheehan is a local entrepreneur who previously served as director of business development in Ulster County and as a prosecutor in Queens County.
Problems:
-
Sheehan said his top priorities are cutting taxes for the middle class and “reforming bail reform.”
-
Sheehan supports Laken’s Law, which requires law enforcement agencies to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement upon the arrest or conviction of people in the country illegally.
This article originally appeared on the Times Herald-Record: What to Know About the Race for New York State’s 41st Senate District
