Asm. Paula Bologna
AD-144 Republican Paula Bologna, first elected in 2024, holds a structurally safe seat in a district carrying an R+13 registration lean and a base electoral model of R+20 across all projected 2026 environments. Her 2024 victory over Michelle M. Roman came by a margin of 23.6 points (61.8% to 38.2%), consistent with the district's prior Republican performance under predecessor Michael J. Norris, who won by 25.0 points in 2018 and ran uncontested in 2016, 2020, and 2022. The district is predominantly white (88.5%), suburban in character with a 79.3% homeownership rate, a median household income of $89,111, and a poverty rate of 8.3%, with Republicans holding a 40.2% to 27.6% registration advantage over Democrats. In her first session, Bologna sponsored 71 bills, with the heaviest concentration in tax (5 bills), education (4 bills), and environmental conservation (4 bills), followed by labor, public service, election, energy, and executive law areas; no committee chairmanship is indicated in available records.AI
Topic Focus AI
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
Key issue areas derived from floor debate speeches and sponsored bill law sections.
Legislative Activity (2025–2026)
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 2025–2026
Grouped by law section from sponsored Assembly bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation API.
Floor Speeches: In Support (7) AI
Praised the bill as a good example of working through the legislative process with amendments. Noted stakeholders are satisfied with changes and indicated he would vote in favor.
Acknowledged the sponsor's point about focusing on the individual dog but expressed concern that the bill does not allow insurance carriers to account for the damage potential if a larger breed bites, which could increase costs for other policyholders.
Acknowledged the sponsor's point about focusing on the individual dog but expressed concern that the bill does not allow insurance carriers to account for the damage potential if a larger breed bites, which could increase costs for other policyholders.
Floor Speeches: In Opposition (18) AI
The bill is a precision instrument designed to benefit the expected 2027 redistricting amendment by allowing the Majority to write favorable ballot language. It dismantles structural independence built into the Board of Elections and replaces meaningful checks with unenforceable 'best efforts' language. The timing and carve-out of prior sessions reveal partisan intent.
Questioned whether the DMV lacks sufficient current enforcement authority and expressed concern that the bill opens the door to frivolous disputes and creates a new revenue source for the State rather than protecting consumers.
Opposed the bill due to concerns about regulatory burden on state-chartered banks and smaller community institutions, arguing the exemption of federally regulated banks creates an uneven playing field that may drive state banks toward federal charters and reduce their ability to generate revenue and serve underbanked communities.
Opposed the bill as another example of restricting landlord-tenant negotiations and contracts. Argued the Assembly should not insert itself between parties and that tenants dissatisfied with fee structures can rent elsewhere, characterizing the approach as antithetical to capitalism.
Bologna commended the bill's intent but opposed it on grounds that restricting only state-chartered institutions while exempting federally-chartered banks creates an uneven playing field that could discourage state banks from serving underbanked communities. He also raised fairness concerns that the bill exempts EBT users from fees while other consumers remain subject to them.
Electoral History AD-144
General Elections
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Paul A. Bologna 61.8% (44,350) | Michelle M. Roman 38.2% (27,402) | 23.6pts |
| 2022 | Michael J. Norris 100.0% (42,819) | Uncontested | — |
| 2020 | Michael J. Norris 100.0% (54,375) | Uncontested | — |
| 2018 | Michael J. Norris 62.5% (31,688) | Joseph DiPasquale 37.5% (19,044) | 25.0pts |
| 2016 | Michael J. Norris 100.0% (43,506) | Uncontested | — |
| 2014 | Jane L. Corwin 100.0% (29,461) | Uncontested | — |
| 2012 | Jane L. Corwin 100.0% (44,450) | Uncontested | — |
| 2011 | Sean M. Ryan 70.3% (5,257) | Sean P. Kipp 19.2% (1,435) | 51.1pts |
| 2010 | Sam Hoyt 53.3% (16,610) | Brian R. Biggie 27.2% (8,469) | 26.1pts |
| 2008 | Sam Hoyt 70.9% (30,228) | Sheila А. Ferrentino 29.1% (12,418) | 41.8pts |
| 2006 | Sam Hoyt 76.0% (21,685) | Rus Thompson 24.0% (6,852) | 52.0pts |
| 2004 | Sam Hoyt 72.6% (32,404) | David L. Penna 27.4% (12,222) | 45.2pts |
| 2002 | Sam Hoyt 72.4% (22,694) | David L. Penna 27.6% (8,666) | 44.8pts |
| 2000 | Sam Hoyt 75.6% (25,727) | Antoinette Guercio 24.4% (8,290) | 51.2pts |
| 1998 | Sam Hoyt 75.0% (20,115) | Richard W. Crawford, Jr. 25.0% (6,694) | 50.0pts |
| 1996 | Sam Hoyt 79.4% (27,268) | Mark B. Mitskovski 20.6% (7,064) | 58.8pts |
Primary Elections
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 (Reform) | Michael J. Norris 99.2% (123) | Joe Di Pasquale 0.8% (1) | 98.4pts |
Source: NYS Board of Elections certified results. ⚡ = margin under 10 pts. District history reflects 2022 redistricted boundaries.
Vulnerability Index AD-144
Base lean: R+20
Scenario model: ±5pt national environment shift applied to district base lean (R+20). 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 144 Profile
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024).
Voter Registration
Demographics
Commute Mode
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.