State Legislative Races
Phillip Fleming for State Assembly (AD 131)
Includes the towns of Fayette, Seneca Falls, Waterloo, Tyre & Junius. Phil's opponent is Mark Benjamin (R)
Learn more at Phillip's Website
What I stand for and how I will represent the constituents of AD131
My top issues are:
Public school education, community engagement, immigration rights (pro-immigrant but definitely anti-ICE as a personal military machine for the current president of the United States), behavioral health, agricultural economics, public transportation in rural areas, and economic development.
On Day 1, I make a pledge to the constituents of AD131 to:
- Work with school administrators at school districts who don’t have adequate numbers of school psychologists, social workers, and guidance counselors to secure funding to hire and retain mental health professionals in public schools that need the funding
- Ensure that there is funding to help finance public transportation systems and expansion initiatives in the AD131 region
- Work with community advocacy groups to keep ICE agents at bay and to protect immigrants who live, work, and visit the AD131 region from ICE invasions
- Provide information and resources about the Request For Proposals from the Office of Mental Health to bring at least one psychosocial clubhouse to the AD131 region
- Making sure that there are adequate and accessible commercial establishments for people to buy everyday goods and services
- Do an inventory of behavioral health facilities and programs in the area, identify gaps, and determine how to increase behavioral health supports in AD131, including peer support services, trainings, etc.
- Work with community advocates to close down toxic dumps and landfills and consider alternatives such as conservation, recycling, and composting to cut down on waste and trash in AD131
- Work with constituents to increase community engagement using tools like in-person appearances, email, social media, and video conferencing platforms
- Open at least two satellite constituency offices outside of the office that is located in Geneva NY that are accessible to ALL residents in AD131
Jim Bobreski for State Senate (District 58).
District included all of Seneca County. Jim's opponent is incumbent State Senator Tom O'Mara (R)
Learn more at Jim's Website
I'm Jim Bobreski and I am running on the democratic ticket for the senate seat of the NYS 58th district. I believe NY needs a change. We need to address issues instead of the blame game. We now have a federal government is hell bent on weaponizing itself against states that voted against the president and his policies.
The republican party has much to answer for this. Funding for our schools, health care programs, environment issues, invasive ICE forces, and our energy future have all been cu t back by this administration and supported by our republican representatives in congress. The issues that I will campaign on are education and falling scholastic scores, high cancer rates, toxic ground water, landfill responsibility, and coal ponds. Also what needs to be dealt with is the encroachment of the Federal government on states rights such as we see with ICE. None of which seem to have been addressed by the office of the 58th NYS Senate current administration.
My Top Ten Reasons For Running For NY Senate:
A Stronger, Safer, Smarter, and Cleaner Energy Future
New York needs an energy policy based on common sense, affordability, reliability, and long-term resilience. I support practical growth in solar, wind, geothermal, storage, and efficiency, together with the grid upgrades needed to keep power dependable and costs under control. Our communities should not be forced to choose between environmental responsibility and economic stability. We can pursue cleaner energy while protecting ratepayers, farmland, scenic beauty, and local decision-making.
Solar and wind generally create more jobs across manufacturing, installation, maintenance, and related grid work than new nuclear proposals, while also coming in at lower projected cost for new generation in recent federal estimates. Even if new nuclear becomes more modular, modular design by itself does not solve the basic problems of cost, speed, and long-term waste management. For the 58th District, a practical clean-energy buildout offers more local jobs and faster deployment.
Protection from Federal Overreach and Interference
The people of New York deserve state leadership that stands up when federal power is used in ways that are discriminatory, politically weaponized, or harmful to local communities. Whether the issue is immigration enforcement, threats to education funding, attacks on health programs, or interference with state energy priorities, elected officials should defend the people they represent. Government should serve the public, not intimidate it.
When federal policies collide with New York values, the 58th District needs a senator who will speak clearly and act accordingly. I will oppose interference that undermines civil rights, local stability, and the ability of New York communities to govern themselves fairly.
Maintain High Education Standards and Increase Teachers' Pay
Strong schools are the foundation of strong communities. Our students deserve high academic standards, safe classrooms, and opportunities that prepare them for the future. Our teachers also deserve respect and fair pay for the critical work they do every day. I support policies that strengthen public education, encourage academic excellence, and keep teaching a profession that talented people can afford to stay in.
I also believe state leaders should defend our schools when federal agendas threaten education funding, public-school independence, or the long-term stability of the Department of Education's role in supporting students, special education, and school communities.
Preservation and Protection of Our Water and Public Health Access
Clean water is one of our most valuable resources, especially here in the Finger Lakes region. Our lakes, streams, wells, and drinking water supplies must be protected from contamination, neglect, and short-sighted decision-making. Public health access must remain a priority, because healthy communities depend on both a clean environment and access to care. Protecting water and public health is not optional - it is essential.
Public health and environmental health go hand in hand. When landfill leachate, toxic runoff, or large projects threaten water quality, those are not abstract issues. They are direct threats to family health, local agriculture, and the long-term strength of our communities.
Large Project Oversight, Landfill, and Toxicity Accountability
Too often, large projects move forward without enough honesty, transparency, or long-term accountability. Communities deserve to know the true environmental, financial, and public-health impacts before major projects are approved. I support stronger oversight of landfills, leachate, toxic runoff, hazardous waste risks, and industrial development. Progress should never mean leaving local residents to deal with pollution, health risks, or broken promises.
This is where I differ sharply from the politics of selective environmental concern. It is not enough to talk about narrow recycling requirements for one type of equipment while failing to address the broader landfill and toxicity burdens communities are already living with.
Protecting Our Local Farmers to Ensure Fair Competition
Our farmers are essential to the economy, culture, food supply, and future of this region. They deserve fair competition, reasonable regulations, and protection from policies that favor outside interests over local agriculture. I will work to protect farmland, support family farms, and promote conditions that help local producers stay competitive and profitable.
Responsible energy policy and environmental policy must also respect agriculture. That means no reckless siting, no casual disregard for farm economics, and no one-size-fits-all decisions imposed on communities that actually work the land.
Open Communications with Constituents
Public office should never be distant or disconnected. I believe elected officials should be accessible, responsive, and willing to listen to the people they represent. That means open communication, honest answers, and regular contact with constituents. The people of this district deserve a representative who will hear their concerns, respect their views, and stay engaged with the communities they serve.
Representation begins with respect, and respect begins with communication.
Contrast with Senator Tom O'Mara
Tom O'Mara's recent record is heavy on grievance politics and light on truly relevant and constructive solutions. On energy, he repeatedly attacks New York's climate agenda as unaffordable and unreliable, while offering a narrow set of bills focused on ratepayer messaging, limited tax treatment, equipment recycling, and a push for more nuclear development rather than a full district plan for local energy resilience, grid modernization, landfill accountability, or responsible development.
That pattern is what I describe as C.O.N.E. - Concentration Of Non Essentials. C.O.N.E. means focusing political attention on side issues, symbolic gestures, or politically convenient talking points while neglecting the larger solutions people actually need. In this case, it means giving attention to narrow renewable-equipment recycling language while offering nothing truly relevant and constructive on landfill leachate, toxic runoff, long-term waste accountability, and broader community protection.
O'Mara's politics are aimed largely at voters who are angry about utility bills, Albany mandates, immigration, and government spending. Those frustrations are real. But anger by itself is not a plan. The 58th District needs leadership that can protect ratepayers and still build something better - more resilient energy, stronger oversight, cleaner water, stronger schools, and fair treatment for local communities.
Nuclear Power: My Position and the O'Mara Contrast
I support a practical energy future for New York that expands renewables, strengthens the grid, and protects ratepayers. Existing nuclear plants may continue operating safely while they are licensed and responsibly managed, but I do not support making new nuclear expansion the centerpiece of our energy future when in all cases, cleaner, faster, and more flexible options deliver results at significantly less risk and lower cost.
Senator O'Mara's 2025 Nuclear Energy Deployment Act frames nuclear as a safe, clean answer for New York. But the history of Nine Mile Point Unit 2 shows why voters should be skeptical of claims that nuclear is automatically affordable. NRC-hosted annual-report records tied to the project show an estimated share rising from $436 million, then to $680 million, then to $1.625 billion, while other NRC-hosted filings later referenced allowed-cost battles in the $4.16 billion to $5.4 billion range. That is not a record of stable, predictable affordability. And the cost story did not end when Nine Mile Point 2 went online. Post-startup expenses continued through outages, refueling shutdowns, uprate modifications, dry-cask spent-fuel storage, and added security requirements - all reminders that nuclear's true price tag extends far beyond the original construction estimate. When O'Mara talks about affordability, he conveniently overlooks that longer and more expensive history.
And on safety, the conversation cannot stop at reactor operations. Spent nuclear fuel remains a long-term hazardous waste problem. The United States still does not have a permanent disposal repository for commercial spent fuel, so waste continues to accumulate at reactor sites in pools and dry casks under ongoing security and management requirements. High-level radioactive waste must be isolated for a very long time - in many cases measured not in decades, but in many thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. That long tail carries real cost, risk, and responsibility.
Even if new nuclear becomes more modular, modular design alone does not erase these realities. For the 58th District, solar and wind still make more practical sense as the leading strategy because they create more jobs, can be deployed faster, and generally offer lower projected new-build costs than new nuclear.
When Federal Policies Harm New York, Where Is O'Mara?
On immigration, O'Mara's record aligns more with enforcement-first Republican politics than with a clear stand against discriminatory or weaponized federal overreach. On education, I did not find a strong public record of him leading the fight against major federal threats to education support. On healthcare, he has acknowledged that changes in federal Medicaid policy could create major disruption for New York, but I did not find the kind of broad, public resistance that these risks deserve.
The pattern is too much reaction and not enough protection. The 58th District deserves a senator who will stand up when federal policies threaten civil rights, schools, public health, local priorities, or New York's ability to pursue a practical clean-energy future.
email: JimB@jimbfornysenate58.com
phone: 1 (315) 755-5786
Town Races
Seneca Falls: County Supervisor at Large (vote for 2)
Jennifer Wick
Note: Jennifer ran successfully for this position in 2025. Due to a statewide change in the election calendar, she has to run again this year.
Born and raised in Seneca Falls, I am a proud graduate of Mynderse Academy. I went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree from RIT and built a career in Human Resources. In 2001, my husband and I returned to Seneca Falls to settle down and raise our family.
For more than a decade, I’ve been deeply involved in our local schools, serving as a substitute teacher for over 12 years and holding leadership roles in the Parent-Teacher Organizations at Cady Stanton and Frank Knight Elementary Schools, including President and Treasurer. I also raised funds to help ensure Mynderse graduating seniors are honored with banners displayed downtown each year. In addition, I serve on the district’s Culture and Steering Committee, where I work with teachers, administrators and other parents to create a safe, welcoming, and positive environment for all students.
Currently, I work as the Deputy Town Clerk for the Town of Seneca Falls, a role that has given me valuable insight into the issues that matter most to our community..As a member of the Board of Supervisors representing Seneca Falls, I am committed to building on that experience. My priorities include creating jobs, promoting tourism, preserving the environment, ensuring seniors and vulnerable residents receive the services and support they need to thrive, supporting county employees, and protecting the mental health of our youth. I believe that strong communities are built through collaboration, transparency, and a shared commitment to doing what is best for all.
At the heart of everything I do is a deep love for this community. Seneca Falls is more than just where I grew up — it’s where I chose to return, raise my family, and dedicate my time and energy. I believe in the strength, resilience, and potential of the people who live here, and I am committed to working hard to ensure Seneca Falls and Seneca County remain places where families can thrive for generations to come.
Claire Ludovico
My name is Claire Ludovico. I’m a proud graduate of Mynderse Academy and grew up in Seneca Falls. After living in Phoenix, AZ for a number of years, I returned here with my husband, who grew up in Phoenix, seven years ago. Shortly after returning, my husband passed away just as Covid hit. My father was a lifelong resident and will be known for donating the property that has become the Ludovico Sculpture Trail.
In addition to my diploma from Mynderse Academy, I have a Bachelor's degree in Geology from Binghamton University and a Master's degree in Secondary Science Education from SUNY at Cortland.
I am an experienced educator. I taught middle school science for seven years, and was the coordinator of speakers for the Science Teachers Association of Western New York State Science Exploration Junior High Day. I taught adult education classes in New York and Arizona for twenty years and was on the committee that wrote the Adult Education Science Standards for the state of Arizona.
In addition, I owned and managed a business as a crafter at Renaissance Festivals in New York, Arizona, Texas, and Virginia for 23 years.
It was a favorite saying of one of my teachers that if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. I volunteer as a member of the It’s a Wonderful Life and the Canal Fest committees. I serve as a member of the Seneca Falls Heritage Preservation Commission. I belong to a book club, an Italian conversation class, and have been enrolled in a continuing education class for many semesters (never the same content) in Italian Culture through Film. In my spare time, I am a clarinetist in the Seneca Falls Community Band, the Auburn Civic Band, and the Hobart William Smith Wind Ensemble and Jazz band.
I believe that to be a good citizen one must be responsible: show up: attend meetings and rehearsals, do the homework, do the research, read the information, practice the music, knock on doors and listen to what others have to say, and using all of that: vote! Finally, I believe passionately in lifelong learning. My motto is: If you are not growing, you are dying.