Sen. April Baskin
April Baskin, first elected in 2025 to represent the heavily Democratic SD-63 (D+26), chairs the Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business Committee and has centered her 61-bill sponsorship record on economic development, small business access to state contracting, and community-level concerns including commercial storefront vacancy, food desert mitigation, and childhood lead poisoning prevention. She holds a 99.7% party loyalty rate across 1,443 votes cast, though she broke with her caucus on four occasions, all involving public service and utilities legislation. Baskin won her 2024 general election with a 32.8-point margin over John P. Moretti Jr., and the district is rated Safe D under all modeled electoral scenarios for 2026. Her $300,667 in campaign contributions — 85.0% from individuals — includes top donors from the gaming, labor, and real estate sectors, with her Commerce chairmanship and legislative focus on MWBE contracting and small business procurement creating a notable overlap with the industries represented among her donor base.AI
Topic Focus AI
Topics extracted by AI from floor speeches, committee hearing transcripts, and sponsored legislation. Bill and hearing citations link to source records for verification. Tag size reflects number of supporting citations.
Key Issues AI
From committee hearings, floor debate, and bill sponsorship.
Legislative Activity (2025–2026)
Floor votes and party alignment from complete Senate roll call records. Hearing engagements and floor debate appearances from official transcript processing.
Bill Outcomes 2025 Session
Covers Senate-sponsored bills only. Status from Open Legislation API.
Committee Assignments
Electoral History SD-63
General Elections
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | April N. McCants-Baskin 66.4% (69,966) | John P. Moretti Jr 33.6% (35,384) | 32.8pts |
| 2022 | Timothy M. Kennedy 82.8% (57,187) | Faye Pietrak 17.2% (11,885) | 65.6pts |
| 2020 | Timothy M. Kennedy 100.0% (95,484) | Uncontested | — |
| 2018 | Timothy M. Kennedy 100.0% (70,221) | Uncontested | — |
| 2016 | Timothy M. Kennedy 100.0% (89,650) | Uncontested | — |
| 2014 | Timothy M. Kennedy 77.9% (42,278) | Ricky T. Donovan, Sr. 22.1% (11,973) | 55.9pts |
| 2012 | Timothy M. Kennedy 100.0% (82,458) | Uncontested | — |
Primary Elections
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 (Democratic) | Timothy M. Kennedy 76.7% (23,640) | Shaqurah G. Zachery 23.3% (7,198) | 53.3pts |
| 2014 (Democratic) | Timothy M. Kennedy 60.2% (16,660) | Betty Jean Grant 39.8% (10,997) | 20.5pts |
| 2014 (Independence) | Timothy M. Kennedy 65.1% (287) | Ricky T. Donovan, Sr. 34.9% (154) | 30.2pts |
Source: NYS Board of Elections certified results. ⚡ = margin under 10 pts.
Vulnerability Index SD-63
Base lean: D+32
- District redrawn after 2020 Census — limited same-boundary history
Scenario model: ±5pt national environment shift applied to district base lean (D+32). 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 = 20+ pts, Likely = 10–19 pts, Lean = 4–9 pts, Toss-up = within 3 pts. Generic ballot from Silver Bulletin (Nate Silver), as of 7/22/2026 — see current figure on the district map. Not a prediction — reflects structural competitiveness under different cycle environments.
Top Co-Sponsors
District 63 Profile
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024). Voter registration: NYS Board of Elections (latest available enrollment file).
Voter Registration
Campaign Finance (2022–2026)
Top Donors
Donor Industries top donors
Source: NYS Board of Elections via data.ny.gov. Itemized monetary contributions only. ↔ Bills = donor industry aligns with bill sponsorship focus area.
Data through 2026-03-28.
Lobbying Activity 2026
Counts reflect bi-monthly disclosure records filed with the Ethics Commission — not individual meetings.
Top Lobbying Issues
Top Organizations Lobbying This Senator
Source: NY Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government via data.ny.gov. ★ Chair = lobbying issue overlaps with a committee this senator chairs. ↔ Overlap = matches committee membership or bill sponsorship focus.
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.
Voting Record
Dissenting Votes by Topic
2 additional dissenting votes across other topics
From 1,443 recorded floor votes via OpenLeg API. Dissenting votes grouped by law section to reveal policy patterns.
Votes through 2026-02-10.
Floor Speeches: In Support (10) AI
Spoke to consequences of ICE collaboration, citing a constituent who died after being turned over to ICE. Also praised auto insurance reforms banning discriminatory rating factors.
Baskin argued the bill expands language access services across all state agencies to serve diverse communities, particularly in Western New York where 11-20% of residents speak languages other than English. She emphasized the bill prevents children from missing school to interpret for families and enables residents to access job listings, understand legal rights, and participate in the state economy with dignity.
Spoke as a beneficiary of Red Cross services following the May 2022 Buffalo mass shooting, the December 2022 Christmas Blizzard, and a house fire in 2023. Described the Red Cross as teaching neighbors to be kind to one another and advocated for increased state budget funding.
Spoke in strong support of Desha's Law, honoring the memory of Desha Sanders who died of cardiac arrest at age 12 when an available AED could not be located due to lack of emergency response planning. Urged colleagues to pass the bill to prevent similar tragedies and save children's lives through mandatory cardiac emergency response plans in schools.
The bill establishes a centralized online registry for vacant commercial storefronts to combat blight and property depreciation. This tool will help small business owners identify abandoned properties and revitalize commercial corridors while benefiting property owners and consumers.
Committee Hearing Engagement (4) AI
| Date | Committee | Engagement | Stance | Focus Areas | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-26 | New York State Senate Finance Committee and Assembly Ways and Means Committee | high | skeptical | Buffalo East Side economic development CMc construction procurement method MWBE oversight and accountability | Sen. Baskin raised concerns about ESD's CMc procurement method potentially removing state oversight, citing the Buffalo Bills stadium experience. She cautioned against sacrificing oversight for efficiency and emphasized need for equitable pathways for small businesses. |
| 2025-02-26 | FINANCE | moderate | supportive | ESD investment in East Buffalo small businesses Commercial Districts Grant Program Barriers to accessing grants for small business owners Vacant storefronts and community revitalization | Sen. Baskin, newly elected, expressed gratitude for initial ESD programs supporting East Buffalo following the Tops tragedy but raised concerns about barriers, paperwork, and wait times for small business owners seeking grants. She requested follow-up on program changes. |
| 2025-02-26 | FINANCE | high | skeptical | CMc procurement strategy and state oversight MWBE requirements and accountability Buffalo Bills Stadium project as cautionary example Private developer accountability with public funding | Sen. Baskin raised pointed concerns about the CMc procurement strategy, using the Buffalo Bills Stadium ($850 million public investment) as a cautionary example of how streamlined processes can lead to loss of state oversight and MWBE requirement waivers. She pressed Commissioner Moy on how CMc maintains accountability and ensures equitable access for small and emerging businesses. |
| 2025-02-12 | FINANCE | moderate | supportive | Refugee resettlement agency funding Federal funding cuts and layoffs State support mechanisms for service providers | Sen. Baskin advocated for state support to help refugee resettlement agencies maintain stability after federal funding cuts, requesting exploration of procurement processes that could help these organizations continue serving communities. |