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Asm. Angelo J. Morinello

District 145 Republican First elected 2017

Angelo J. Morinello (R-AD-145) holds a reliably Republican seat despite a district registration lean of D+5, with Democrats holding 34,198 registrations (37.3%) to Republicans' 29,775 (32.5%); his 2026 outlook ranges from Lean R in a favorable Democratic environment to Safe R in a favorable Republican environment, and his recent electoral margins of 22.6 points in 2024 and 27.0 points in 2022 reflect a district performing well to the right of its registration baseline. The district, centered in the Niagara Falls area of western New York, is predominantly white (80.9%), with a median household income of $70,494, a 13.9% poverty rate, and a 71.0% homeownership rate, indicating a working- and middle-class exurban or small-city character. First elected in 2017, Morinello has sponsored 40 bills in the 2025 session, with his heaviest concentration in Penal Law (6 bills), Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (4 bills), and State Finance (3 bills), alongside targeted local legislation under Niagara County (2 bills). The brief does not identify a committee chairmanship for Morinello, and no lobbying sector data is included in this profile.AI

Topic Focus AI

Criminal Procedure & Wrongful ConvictionsA02878-AA01029-C Interpreter Requirements in Legal ProceedingsA9122A05394 Privacy Rights & Electronic SurveillanceS01548-BA02565 Sports Betting Regulation & Addiction PreventionA00382-AA06285 Alcoholic Beverage Production Caps & Local Producer ProtectionA03132-A Drone Safety & School ProtectionA04944 Emergency Rental Assistance & Landlord ProtectionsA08702 Firearm Technology & Personalized HandgunsA08333-A Judicial Election System & Party Endorsement AuthorityA00584-C Police Use of Force & Automatic Weapons PolicyA04157

Topics extracted by AI from floor debate speeches, joint committee hearing transcripts, and sponsored legislation. Tag size reflects number of supporting citations.

Key Issues AI

Alcoholic Beverage Control 2 against A10890 A10620
Vehicle and Traffic 2 against A9122
Criminal Procedure 1 for A10024
Penal 6 bills
Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation 4 bills
State Finance 3 bills
Education 2 bills
Environmental Conservation 2 bills
Niagara County 2 bills
Public Authorities 2 bills
Real Property Tax 2 bills

Key issue areas derived from floor debate speeches and sponsored bill law sections.

Legislative Activity (2025–2026)

Bills sponsored 40
Floor debate appearances 40
Years in office 9

Bill sponsorship from NYS Open Legislation API. Hearing appearances from joint Senate-Assembly committee transcripts. Floor debate from official Assembly session transcripts (Granicus, 2023–present).

Bill Focus Areas

Penal 6 bills
Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation 4 bills
State Finance 3 bills
Education 2 bills
Environmental Conservation 2 bills
Niagara County 2 bills
Public Authorities 2 bills
Real Property Tax 2 bills

Grouped by law section from sponsored Assembly bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation API.

Floor Speeches: In Support (21) AI

A10024 An act to amend the Criminal Procedure Law, in relation to plea bargaining restrictions for certain felony offenses 2026-06-04 PASSED

Drew on his experience as a judge using judicial diversion, describing a case where he was forced to incarcerate a defendant who had exceeded rehabilitation expectations. He characterized the bill as providing an 'escape hatch' while preserving mandatory minimums and judicial discretion.

A04922 An act to amend the General Business Law and the Civil Practice Law and Rules, in relation to protecting private education loan borrowers and cosigners 2026-06-02 PASSED

Praised the bill as timely and worthwhile, noting his experience as a judge with overzealous debt collectors purchasing loans multiple times over. Emphasized the importance of explaining obligations to cosigners (parents and grandparents) upfront to prevent financial disadvantage.

A04922 Private education loan borrower and cosigner protections 2026-06-02 PASSED

Drawing on judicial experience, Morinello supported the bill as timely and necessary, noting that overzealous debt collectors often lack proper loan assignment documentation and fail to explain cosigner obligations to parents and grandparents, putting families in financial jeopardy.

A02107 An act in relation to requiring the Empire State Development Corporation to study kitchen incubators in New York State 2026-05-19 PASSED

Supported the bill but suggested expanding it to include teaching kitchens to address food insecurity and teach cooking skills to younger individuals using inexpensive ingredients.

A03561 An act in relation to requiring the Empire State Development Corporation, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture and Markets and the Office of New Americans, to study the economic impact of optimizing and creating kitchen incubators in New York State 2026-05-19 PASSED

Supported the bill but suggested expanding it to include teaching kitchens to address food insecurity and teach younger individuals cooking skills using inexpensive ingredients.

Floor Speeches: In Opposition (19) AI

A10890 An act to amend the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, in relation to exemption of certain parcels of land from the licensing restrictions prohibiting manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers of alcoholic beverages from sharing an interest in a licensed premises 2026-06-01 PASSED

Opposed the bill as an attack on the three-tier system that employs thousands of Teamsters and generates enormous tax revenue. Characterized it as favoring special interests and predicting it will have a devastating negative effect on New York's economy.

A10620 An act to amend the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, in relation to the exemption of certain parcels of land from licensing restrictions prohibiting manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers of alcoholic beverages from sharing an interest in a licensed premises 2026-05-29 PASSED

The bill violates the three-tier system that protects industry integrity and supports thousands of jobs in distribution and trucking. He warned it represents the first step in dismantling protections that benefit workers and businesses statewide.

A01422 An act to amend the Criminal Procedure Law, in relation to requiring accurate interpretation of statements made by deponents with limited English proficiency in accusatory instruments and supporting depositions 2026-04-28

Expressed concern about implementation and cost, questioning whether a centralized 24-hour interpretation center accessible to rural courts would be more efficient than the current approach. Worried about dialect differences within languages and whether the bill adequately addresses justice system needs statewide.

A00382-A An act to amend the Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law, in relation to advertising restrictions for mobile sports wagering licensees 2026-03-25 PASSED

Criticized the underlying sports betting law as fundamentally flawed and argued the Assembly should eliminate it rather than spend time on regulatory patches that merely mask the true issue of state-created addiction for revenue purposes.

A06285 Mobile Sports Betting Monthly Invoice Bill 2026-03-24 PASSED

Users already have access to betting information via credit cards and can check it constantly while betting. The real problem is the addictive nature of mobile betting itself. Based on his experience representing bookmakers, the industry targets inexperienced bettors, and the state's legalization was a "money grab" without consideration for families and youth. Safeguards like invoices do not help addicted individuals.

Electoral History

General Elections

Year Winner Runner-up Margin
2024 Angelo J. Morinello 61.3% (37,667) Jeffrey Elder 38.7% (23,774) 22.6pts
2022 Angelo J. Morinello 63.5% (30,131) Douglas E. Mooradian 36.5% (17,347) 27.0pts
2020 Angelo J. Morinello 100.0% (44,255) Uncontested —
2018 Angelo J. Morinello 100.0% (31,884) Uncontested —
2016 Angelo J. Morinello 54.6% (28,381) John D. Ceretto 45.4% (23,609) ⚡ 9.2pts
2014 John D. Ceretto 100.0% (23,240) Uncontested —
2012 John D. Ceretto 50.9% (25,936) Robert M. Restaino 49.1% (24,976) ⚡ 1.8pts
2010 Mark J. F. Schroeder 100.0% (34,894) Uncontested —
2008 Mark J. Schroeder 75.0% (37,563) Dennis M. Marek 25.0% (12,551) 50.0pts
2006 Mark J. Schroeder 77.9% (29,495) Richard E. Zajac 22.1% (8,389) 55.8pts
2004 Mark J. Schroeder 72.0% (37,853) Richard A. Rydza 26.7% (14,022) 45.3pts
2002 Brian Higgins 76.6% (30,375) Richard A. Rydza 23.4% (9,259) 53.2pts
2000 Brian M. Higgins 65.0% (33,235) Marilynn J. Calhoun 35.0% (17,868) 30.0pts
1998 Brian M. Higgins 45.2% (19,297) Steven P. Mc Carville 32.2% (13,727) 13.0pts
1996 Richard J. Keane 51.9% (25,311) Justin A. Cross 48.1% (23,475) ⚡ 3.8pts

Primary Elections

Year Winner Runner-up Margin
2012 (Working Families) Robert M. Restaino 84.3% (43) John Ceretto 15.7% (8) 68.6pts

Special Elections

Year Winner Runner-up Margin
2012 Michael P. Kearns 56.7% (7,593) Christopher J. Fahey 43.3% (5,795) 13.4pts

Source: NYS Board of Elections certified results. ⚡ = margin under 10 pts. District history reflects 2022 redistricted boundaries.

Vulnerability Index

Base lean: R+12

Favorable D
Lean R
Neutral
Likely R
Favorable R
Safe R

Scenario model: ±5pt national environment shift applied to district base lean (R+12). Base lean blends voter registration (40%) with recent contested general election margins (60%), using up to the last 4 general elections with margins under 40 points. Ratings: Safe D/R = 15+ pts, Likely = 8–14 pts, Lean = 3–7 pts, Toss-up = within 2 pts (Assembly districts are smaller and more homogeneous than Senate districts, so tighter thresholds are used). Generic ballot from Silver Bulletin (Nate Silver), as of 10/20/2026. Not a prediction — reflects structural competitiveness under different cycle environments.

District 145 Profile

Population 132,557
Median income $70,494
Median rent $937
Homeownership 71.0%
Education (BA+) 31.5%
Poverty rate 13.9%
Uninsured rate 2.6%
Unemployment rate 6.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024).

Voter Registration

37%
32%
30%
Dem 37.3% Rep 32.5% Ind/Other 30.2%

Demographics

White 80.9%
Black 7.8%
Hispanic 4.2%
Asian 1.6%
Median age 44.0
Foreign born 4.8%
Limited English households 1.1%
Veterans 6.9%
Disability rate 15.6%

Commute Mode

Drive alone 76.6%
Public transit 1.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024). Race and ethnicity figures may not sum to 100% — Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity category that overlaps with racial groups.

Lobbying Activity

No lobbying disclosures on record for this member in the available dataset.

Source: NY Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government via data.ny.gov.