Sen. Sam Sutton
Sam Sutton, first elected in 2025 to represent SD-22, has centered his early legislative identity on Education Law, sponsoring 4 of his 13 total bills in that area, alongside Insurance regulation, New York City municipal administration, and Public Health policy, serving as a member of six committees including Health, Education, and Social Services. His 2026 electoral outlook is rated Safe D across all modeled scenarios, anchored by a D+30 district lean and a voter registration advantage of 52.2% Democrat, though the district's same-boundary electoral history is limited following post-2020 Census redistricting. Sutton has cast 881 votes in his first session with a 98.7% party loyalty rate, though he voted against his Democratic caucus on 4 occasions, including on bills related to non-compete agreements, a drug checking program, and real property rights. His campaign raised $237,959 between 2022 and 2026, with 95.6% drawn from individuals and no corporate or PAC contributions, while lobbying contacts in his office have concentrated most heavily in Budget/Appropriations, Health, and Insurance — the latter two areas flagging an overlap with his committee assignments and bill sponsorship focus.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 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-22
General Elections
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Simcha Felder 100.0% (74,999) | Uncontested | — |
| 2022 | Simcha Felder 95.4% (59,534) | Marva C. Brown 4.6% (2,846) | 90.9pts |
| 2020 | Andrew S. Gounardes 51.9% (51,565) | Vito J. Bruno 48.1% (47,830) | ⚡ 3.8pts |
| 2018 | Andrew S. Gounardes 51.0% (33,507) | Martin J. Golden 49.0% (32,236) | ⚡ 1.9pts |
| 2016 | Martin J. Golden 100.0% (62,033) | Uncontested | — |
| 2014 | Martin J. Golden 68.9% (23,580) | James T. Kemmerer 31.1% (10,633) | 37.8pts |
| 2012 | Martin J. Golden 57.7% (38,584) | Andrew S. Gounardes 42.3% (28,243) | 15.5pts |
| 2010 | Martin J. Golden 65.8% (28,270) | Michael DiSanto 34.2% (14,666) | 31.7pts |
| 2008 | Martin J. Golden 100.0% (42,804) | Uncontested | — |
| 2006 | Martin J. Golden 100.0% (22,082) | Uncontested | — |
| 2004 | Martin J. Golden 100.0% (44,729) | Uncontested | — |
| 2002 | Martin J. Golden 54.7% (25,064) | Vincent J. Gentile 45.3% (20,795) | ⚡ 9.3pts |
| 2000 | Seymour P. Lachman 79.9% (42,164) | James C. Sutliff 18.2% (9,631) | 61.6pts |
| 1998 | Seymour P. Lachman 76.6% (30,542) | Nora C. De Angelo 20.1% (8,006) | 56.5pts |
| 1996 | Seymour P. Lachman 77.6% (37,016) | Salvatore J. Calise 22.4% (10,658) | 55.3pts |
Primary Elections
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 (Democratic) | Andrew S. Gounardes 57.7% (9,007) | Ross Barkan 42.3% (6,616) | 15.3pts |
Source: NYS Board of Elections certified results. ⚡ = margin under 10 pts.
Vulnerability Index SD-22
Base lean: D+35
- District redrawn after 2020 Census — limited same-boundary history
Scenario model: ±5pt national environment shift applied to district base lean (D+35). 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 5/20/2026 — see current figure on the district map. Not a prediction — reflects structural competitiveness under different cycle environments.
Top Co-Sponsors
District 22 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
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
4 additional dissenting votes across other topics
From 881 recorded floor votes via OpenLeg API. Dissenting votes grouped by law section to reveal policy patterns.
Votes through 2026-02-10.