Sen. Joseph A. Griffo
Joseph A. Griffo is a Republican state senator representing New York's 53rd Senate District (R+12), where he has served since 2009. In the 2025 session, he has sponsored 292 bills, with a legislative focus concentrated in penal law, education, vehicle and traffic, and tax policy, while also engaging actively in committee hearings on healthcare funding disparities between upstate and downstate New York. Griffo votes with the Republican caucus 94.1% of the time and has raised $242,774 in campaign contributions over the 2022–2026 cycle, with 66.3% coming from individual donors.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-53
General Elections
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Joseph A. Griffo 70.2% (99,459) | James Meyers 29.8% (42,206) | 40.4pts |
| 2022 | Joseph A. Griffo 100.0% (86,372) | Uncontested | — |
| 2020 | Rachel May 54.8% (66,699) | Sam Rodgers 44.2% (53,798) | 10.6pts |
| 2018 | Rachel May 51.3% (48,076) | Janet Berl Burman 37.0% (34,648) | 14.3pts |
| 2016 | David J. Valesky 100.0% (82,524) | Uncontested | — |
| 2014 | David J. Valesky 100.0% (51,052) | Uncontested | — |
| 2012 | David J. Valesky 100.0% (84,429) | Uncontested | — |
| 2010 | Thomas F. O'Mara 59.5% (46,226) | Pamela Mackesey 40.5% (31,470) | 19.0pts |
| 2008 | George H. Winner, Jr. 58.5% (61,144) | John Tonello 41.5% (43,341) | 17.0pts |
| 2006 | George H. Winner, Jr. 100.0% (51,422) | Uncontested | — |
| 2004 | George H. Winner, Jr. 59.8% (64,114) | Daniel J. Cleveland 40.2% (43,046) | 19.7pts |
| 2002 | John Randy Kuhl, Jr. 95.0% (55,885) | Victoria J. Chiment 5.0% (2,914) | 90.1pts |
| 2000 | Michael F. Nozzolio 100.0% (89,872) | Uncontested | — |
| 1998 | Michael F. Nozzolio 95.8% (67,574) | Laura J. Jacobsen 4.2% (2,974) | 91.6pts |
| 1996 | Michael F. Nozzolio 95.1% (80,056) | Joanne M. Vacca 4.9% (4,123) | 90.2pts |
Primary Elections
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 (Democratic) | Rachel May 51.8% (8,553) | David J. Valesky 48.2% (7,943) | ⚡ 3.7pts |
| 2018 (Women's Equality) | David J. Valesky 66.7% (2) | Zephyr Teachout 33.3% (1) | 33.3pts |
| 2010 (Republican) | Thomas F. O'Mara 59.3% (10,811) | James G. Bacalles 40.7% (7,420) | 18.6pts |
Source: NYS Board of Elections certified results. ⚡ = margin under 10 pts.
Vulnerability Index SD-53
Base lean: D+2
Scenario model: ±5pt national environment shift applied to district base lean (D+2). 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 53 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.
Lobbying Activity 2025
Top Lobbying Issues
Top Organizations Lobbying This Senator
Source: NY Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government via data.ny.gov. Counts reflect bi-monthly disclosure records filed with the Ethics Commission — not individual meetings. ★ 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
30 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 (3) AI
Stated the bill demonstrates through action genuine concern and commitment to disabled veterans. Called on the Assembly to follow the Senate's action.
Voted in favor while noting the Legislature's failure to pass a state budget within the constitutional deadline, arguing that constitutional obligations regarding budget passage should be equally respected.
Highlighted Herbert Thorpe, a resident of his district who turned 100 in January and was inducted into the Senate Veterans Hall of Fame. Noted Thorpe's continued service to the community after his military career at the Air Force Research Lab.
Floor Speeches: In Opposition (3) AI
Committee Hearing Engagement (7) AI
| Date | Committee | Engagement | Stance | Focus Areas | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-25 | Senate Finance Committee and Assembly Ways and Means Committee (Joint) | high | skeptical | Upstate Medical Center parity Judge Lippman report implementation Campus consolidation/closure concerns Office of Professions proposal | Sen. Griffo raised concerns about parity between Downstate and Upstate Medical investments, questioned implementation of the Lippman report on campus safety, and asked about potential campus consolidations or closures. |
| 2025-02-11 | FINANCE | high | skeptical | emergency department diversions Upstate University Hospital funding workforce shortages capital funding parity | Sen. Griffo raised concerns about ED diversions across upstate New York and pressed Commissioner McDonald on funding disparities between Downstate ($450 million capital, $100 million operating) and Upstate ($200 million capital). He challenged the Commissioner's stated support for Upstate, noting that 'money would be more important' than expressions of support. |
| 2023-02-27 | FINANCE | moderate | neutral | Committee membership introduction | As Senate Higher Education Committee ranking member, Sen. Griffo introduced Republican members present at the hearing. |
| 2023-02-27 | FINANCE | high | neutral | Campus closures or consolidations Nursing and teacher shortages Tuition increases and middle-class impact Workforce development | Sen. Griffo asked substantive questions about enrollment challenges, workforce shortages, and the potential regressive impact of tuition increases on middle-class families. He sought concrete information on how the systems plan to address critical workforce gaps. |
| 2023-02-27 | FINANCE | moderate | skeptical | Proposed transfer of Office of Professions to Department of Health Redundancy and confusion concerns | Sen. Griffo questioned why the Governor's proposal to move the Office of Professions to the Department of Health would improve healthcare professional licensing and addressed concerns about redundancy and confusion. |
| 2023-02-27 | FINANCE | moderate | supportive | BOCES and career/technical education coordination Teacher profession shortages by subject area | Sen. Griffo asked about connections between higher education and BOCES programs to ensure student access to career pathways, and inquired about specific teacher shortage areas. His questions suggest support for workforce development initiatives. |
| 2023-02-27 | FINANCE | high | supportive | TAP eligibility increase and income threshold Impact of TAP expansion on enrollment Graduate TAP reinstatement for critical fields Workforce development in nursing, education, and STEM | Sen. Griffo asked about expanding TAP eligibility to 24,000 additional families and whether the system could sustain increases. He advocated for reinstating Graduate TAP focused on high-need fields like nursing and education, and emphasized the need for workforce alignment with private sector opportunities. |