Sen. Monica Martinez
Monica Martinez, first elected in 2019, chairs the Senate Committee on Local Government and has built her legislative identity around local government funding, housing and zoning policy, and education, sponsoring 119 bills in the 2025 session with Education Law (11 bills), General Municipal (7 bills), and Real Property Tax (7 bills) among her top areas of focus; 8 of those bills were signed into law (6.8%). She represents SD-4, a D+22 district with 85,211 registered Democrats against 41,831 Republicans, though her electoral standing has included competitive moments — her 2022 race was decided by just 2.8 points before she expanded her margin to 13.0 points in 2024 — and the district is rated Likely D under neutral conditions for 2026. Martinez cast 1,443 votes in the 2025 session at an 88.8% party loyalty rate, with 6 recorded cross-party votes against her caucus, while her 2022–2024 campaign raised $127,286, drawing 82.8% from individuals and featuring real estate-linked donors including The Durst Organization LP ($5,000), Scott Rechler ($2,500), and David Lichtenstein ($2,500) alongside top contributor Jay Jacobs ($10,000); lobbying contacts flagged overlaps with Health – General, Transportation – Mass Transit, and Criminal Justice, areas that intersect with her committee portfolio.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-4
General Elections
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Monica R. Martinez 56.5% (62,016) | Teresa J. Bryant 43.5% (47,745) | 13.0pts |
| 2022 | Monica R. Martinez 51.4% (37,173) | Wendy Rodriguez 48.6% (35,173) | ⚡ 2.8pts |
| 2020 | Philip M. Boyle 55.4% (79,576) | Christine Pellegrino 44.6% (64,056) | 10.8pts |
| 2018 | Philip M. Boyle 51.8% (52,767) | Louis D'Amaro 48.2% (49,131) | ⚡ 3.6pts |
| 2016 | Philip M. Boyle 62.8% (76,411) | John R. Alberts 37.2% (45,232) | 25.6pts |
| 2014 | Philip M. Boyle 67.8% (38,461) | John R. Alberts 32.2% (18,282) | 35.6pts |
| 2012 | Philip M. Boyle 52.6% (54,515) | Ricardo Montano 47.4% (49,223) | ⚡ 5.1pts |
| 2010 | Owen H. Johnson 66.4% (43,799) | Maeghan H. Lollo 33.6% (22,197) | 32.7pts |
| 2008 | Owen H. Johnson 59.0% (60,007) | Tanya D. Gilliard 38.8% (39,456) | 20.2pts |
| 2006 | Owen H. Johnson 58.6% (35,942) | James J. Mc Donald 41.4% (25,442) | 17.1pts |
| 2004 | Owen H. Johnson 100.0% (66,309) | Uncontested | — |
| 2002 | Owen H. Johnson 95.1% (42,107) | Georgiana M. Borda 4.9% (2,179) | 90.2pts |
| 2000 | Owen H. Johnson 91.4% (57,145) | Madeleine I. Sharp 5.8% (3,654) | 85.5pts |
| 1998 | Owen H. Johnson 67.1% (41,704) | Randolf А. Tobias 29.9% (18,550) | 37.3pts |
| 1996 | Owen H. Johnson 64.1% (53,543) | Hans R. Haugen 35.9% (29,963) | 28.2pts |
Source: NYS Board of Elections certified results. ⚡ = margin under 10 pts.
Vulnerability Index SD-4
Base lean: D+16
- Recently competitive (margin < 10pts)
- District redrawn after 2020 Census — limited same-boundary history
Scenario model: ±5pt national environment shift applied to district base lean (D+16). 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 4 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 (2022–2024)
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
25 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
Sponsor of the bill; confirmed that no New Yorkers currently own walruses.
PLAs are proven tools that set fair wages, establish workplace safety standards, and prioritize hiring skilled local workers. The bill protects taxpayers' dollars, prevents wage theft and worker misclassification, and ensures quality construction without costly disruptions from unsafe contractors.
Sponsor emphasized that biometric data breaches are permanent and cannot be reset like passwords, potentially causing lifelong identity fraud. Noted the bill was passed by both sides last year and was prompted by a constituent who lost her job for refusing iris and retina scanning.
As a former educator and administrator, Sen. Martinez emphasized that the bill represents a commonsense approach to ensuring school security guards are well-trained to handle emergencies and recognize signs of student distress. She noted the bill has support from the New York State School Boards Association and the Sachem School District.
As a former educator and school administrator, emphasized the bill addresses deficiencies in the prior evaluation system that unfairly held teachers accountable for circumstances beyond their control, such as students' home situations and food insecurity. Stated the measure is needed to end the practice of tying test scores to teacher performance.
Floor Speeches: In Opposition (9) AI
Voted in the negative on the measure.
Voted in opposition to the bill.
Voted against the measure.
Voted against the bill.
Voted in opposition to the measure.
Committee Hearing Engagement (16) AI
| Date | Committee | Engagement | Stance | Focus Areas | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-06 | Joint Legislative Hearing - Senate Finance Committee and Assembly Ways and Means Committee | low | neutral | Long Island infrastructure Southern State Parkway safety | Sen. Martinez asked about Long Island projects and Southern State Parkway conditions, expressing concern about traffic safety on that corridor. |
| 2025-02-06 | FINANCE | none | unclear | Sen. Martinez was listed as present but did not ask questions in the transcript provided. | |
| 2025-02-06 | FINANCE | moderate | skeptical | Long Island project completion and commencement status Southern State Parkway safety and expansion Meadowbrook expansion Northern State Parkway expansion Oakdale Merge project | Sen. Martinez followed up on Long Island funding concerns raised by colleagues. She emphasized that Long Island and Hudson Valley have the worst street and pavement conditions and pressed for details on major projects. She highlighted the Southern State Parkway as one of the deadliest highways in New York and advocated for on- and off-ramp improvements. |
| 2025-02-04 | Joint Legislative Hearing - Senate Finance Committee and Assembly Ways and Means Committee | moderate | neutral | TFA financing EMS regional approach housing IDAs | Chair Martinez asked clarifying questions about TFA debt capacity and EMS regional coordination, seeking to understand implementation details of proposed programs. |
| 2025-02-04 | FINANCE | moderate | neutral | TFA funding MTA capital projects Recurring vs. temporary funding | Sen. Martinez asked clarifying questions about the $3 billion TFA increase, specifically whether it was recurring and its connection to MTA capital projects. She received confirmation it was for MTA. |
| 2025-02-04 | FINANCE | moderate | supportive | EMS regionalization IDA role in housing Local control and home-rule | Sen. Martinez asked clarifying questions about EMS regionalization and IDA involvement in housing projects. He expressed strong support for local control and home-rule principles, particularly from a Long Island perspective, and appeared receptive to local government concerns about state mandates. |
| 2024-02-06 | FINANCE | moderate | neutral | Local government budget issues | Sen. Martinez is identified as Senate Local Government Committee Chair and participated in the hearing but did not ask direct questions in the transcript provided. |
| 2024-02-06 | FINANCE | moderate | neutral | Pro-Housing Community initiative AIM funding and specific dollar amounts needed housing stock increase | Sen. Martinez asked practical questions about the Pro-Housing Community initiative and pressed mayors for specific dollar figures for AIM funding, noting that vague requests for money make budget allocation difficult. |
| 2024-02-06 | FINANCE | moderate | supportive | Local government funding AIM advocacy | Sen. Martinez was thanked by testifiers as a Local Government chair and was noted by Assemblyman Thiele as committed to pushing AIM funding in Senate budget bills. |
| 2023-02-15 | FINANCE | moderate | neutral | Local government issues | As Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government, Sen. Martinez was present and identified as likely to ask questions, though no specific questions are recorded in the transcript excerpt. |
| 2023-02-15 | FINANCE | high | supportive | migrant crisis asylum-seeker housing Nassau Coliseum rumor local government coordination AIM funding | Sen. Martinez, as chair of Local Governments Committee and an immigrant himself, expressed support for the Mayor's migrant response while seeking clarification on rumors about Nassau Coliseum use. He emphasized the need for coordination with local governments and funding for nonprofits supporting asylum-seekers. |
| 2023-02-15 | FINANCE | low | neutral | Sen. Martinez was mentioned as present but did not ask questions during the testimony. | |
| 2023-02-15 | FINANCE | high | supportive | Budget balancing without service cuts Differential impacts on counties by size Housing proposal impacts on counties and cities State control of local authorities Incentives needed to meet housing targets | Sen. Martinez, identified as chair of Local Government, expressed strong support for local government concerns. He asked detailed questions about how counties would balance budgets if the FMAP intercept proceeds, requested preliminary estimates of impacts by county, and questioned whether the housing proposal could work. He stated he is 'fighting to make sure' the FMAP intercept doesn't happen. |
| 2023-02-15 | FINANCE | low | supportive | State zoning assistance programs | Sen. Martinez asked a single question about whether the state should establish a program to assist localities with zoning, signaling openness to this approach as an alternative to mandates. |
| 2023-02-08 | FINANCE | low | unclear | Sen. Martinez is listed as present but no questions or engagement are recorded in the transcript provided. | |
| 2023-02-08 | FINANCE | high | skeptical | Bullying and DASA reporting School safety Follow-up on bullying complaints | Sen. Martinez, a former educator and DASA coordinator, asked pointed questions about what happens after schools report bullying. She shared a personal anecdote about a student suicide due to bullying and questioned whether DASA reporting is accurate and whether schools receive adequate resources. |