Sen. April Baskin
April Baskin is a Democrat representing New York's 63rd Senate District (D+26), first elected in 2025, with a legislative focus on economic development, public health, tax policy, and small business support, including notable efforts on MWBE contracting access, childhood lead poisoning prevention, and food desert mitigation in her Buffalo-area district. In her first session, she sponsored 61 bills and voted with the Democratic caucus 99.7% of the time across 1,443 recorded votes. She raised $300,667 in campaign contributions between 2022 and 2026, with 85% coming from individual donors and just 2.7% from corporations and PACs.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
From committee hearings, floor debate, and bill sponsorship.
Legislative Activity (2025–2026)
Based on complete Senate roll call records.
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
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" refers to national partisan polling used to model favorable/unfavorable cycle environments. 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 (Nov. 2025).
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.
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 (8) AI
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.
Baskin explained her personal connection to lead poisoning as a mother and sister of affected children, and as representative of Buffalo with disproportionately high rates of childhood lead poisoning in Black communities. She noted that as a county legislator in 2019 she introduced a resolution calling for this change, and is now proud to sponsor the bill as a State Senator.
The bill will provide critical support for grocery stores in underserved communities, addressing food deserts and improving neighborhood health. She argued the measure is distinct from existing programs and referenced the Tops Market shooting as evidence of the dangers facing communities without adequate retail access.
Committee Hearing Engagement (2) 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. |
| 2025-02-12 | 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. |