NEW BALTIMORE — Two weeks after state Sen. George Amedore Jr. announced he will not seek re-election, child victims advocate Gary Greenberg said he will run for the seat as a Democrat.
Amedore announced Nov. 29 he would not run for a new term.
Greenberg said Thursday that he will run for the seat that Amedore held for three terms in the 46th Senate District, which covers all of Greene and Montgomery counties, and portions of Albany, Schenectady and Ulster counties.
“Public service is about fighting for the interests of the people you were elected to represent, getting laws passed, securing financial resources for local organizations,” Greenberg said Thursday. “For the last five years of my life I have been fighting to enact the Child Victims Act and I traveled from Long Island to Buffalo working to elect senators to make the Child Victims Act the law of the land.”
The state is currently facing a $6 billion budget deficit due in large part to overspending and waste in state government, Greenberg said.
“We cannot simply continue to raise taxes in New York State,” Greenberg said. “We need elected officials that have the ability to be independent and won’t be a rubber stamp for unending tax increases. New Yorkers need jobs and a future. They need elected officials who can get that job done.”
Recently, State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins cited the enactment of the Child Victims Act as one of the major accomplishments of the Senate Democratic majority.
“Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins was correct to cite enactment of the Child Victims Act as a major accomplishment and I was proud to help lead that effort to remove the Senate Republican opposition by organizing more than 30 political rallies in support of Democratic Senate candidates and traveling tens of thousands of miles while expending my own resources to ensure the Child Victims Act became the law in New York State,” Greenberg said.
Another accomplishment for Greenberg was helping to enact Erin’s Law, which requires all public schools in the state to provide instruction to children on best practices to prevent and identify potential sexual abuse.
Greenberg and his family have deep roots in the 46th Senate District. He served as a member of the Albany County Legislature in 1992. Greenberg was also an Albany County Democratic Committeeman for 24 years before moving to Columbia County and then to his current residence with his family in Greene County.
“Expanding my advocacy to serve the residents of the 46th State Senate District could be the next chapter of my commitment to serve the public and make state government responsive to all the residents of the 46th Senate District,” Greenberg said.
Greenberg called the 46th District a vast region with a variety of challenges.
“The 46th Senate District is a sprawling district that has urban and rural issues and problems facing its constituents,” he said. “I know how to enact policies at the state level and I look forward to meeting the people of this district from Kingston to Albany and Schenectady. Part of my exploratory efforts will be to meet with the elected officials and citizens groups around the district to learn of their specific issues, to listen to their agenda and work together with them to develop ideas and proposals to improve the economy, provide access to health care services and hopefully develop innovative policies in the State Senate.”
Greenberg said he looks forward to embarking on his campaign.
“I know how to run a campaign and how to win elections and I look forward to working to serve the people of the 46th Senate District by being the same tireless and strong advocate from my experience enacting the Child Victims Act,” he said. “Public service is an honor and privilege and I look forward to this next chapter of my career in fighting for justice and good government.”
Greenberg is the founder of Fighting for Children Political Action Committee and Protect New York Kids, a federally recognized nonprofit created to assist all child victims in the state.
Additionally, Greenberg’s advocacy efforts have been recognized statewide by the New York Progressive Action Network. Greenberg is the 2019 recipient of the Hero Award given each year by the New York Progressive Action Network to citizen advocates who volunteer to fight for public policy in the state.
Amedore cited family reasons partly for his decision not to run again.
“After careful consideration and reflection, I have decided not to seek re-election to the New York State Senate in 2020,” Amedore said. “I truly believe in public service and giving back to the community, and it has been a great honor to serve the residents of the 46th Senate District. As I have said in the past, I did not intend to be a career politician, and at this time, this is the right decision for my family and me.”