Richard David, MPA ‘02, is the Republican candidate for New York State Senate District 52. David previously served as the mayor of Binghamton from 2014 to 2021. David studied communications and political science during his undergraduate years at St. John Fisher College before earning his graduate degree in public administration from Binghamton University.
What motivated you to run for this position?
“I’m running for state senate because I’m very concerned about the direction our state is headed. I’m specifically concerned about public safety, rising costs of taxes, groceries, gas prices and the exodus of people and businesses moving to other states with more opportunity. As mayor, I worked across the aisle to achieve real results on affordable housing, economic development and investing in infrastructure, and I want to bring that experience and track record to Albany to deliver results for our community.”
How does your background and previous experience make you a good candidate for this position?
“I’m the son of an immigrant, bi-racial family. My father, Claude is a retired OB/GYN physician and a registered Republican, and my mother, Ginny is a social worker and a registered Democrat. Growing up with these different viewpoints has given me a unique perspective on my role in government and in life. It’s made me passionate about providing affordable housing and youth programming to underserved neighborhoods as well as delivering public safety, tax relief and improving the business climate. I have a track record of standing up to my party publicly and working across the aisle to get things done.”
What do you believe are the biggest issues facing Broome County and how do you plan to approach them?
“I believe they are the same issues that are facing the state as a whole — public safety, affordability and access to quality housing. We need to repeal bail reform, return discretion to judges and invest in training for law enforcement officers to make us safer. We need to cut taxes and reduce our skyrocketing energy costs to make New York more affordable. Finally, I’d fight for our fair share of the state’s housing grants to bring resources to our community. Our region feels the out-migration of New York state residents more acutely with our close proximity to the Pennsylvania border where, for example, starting a business is less burdensome.”
Many students and community members are concerned about the increasing prices of housing in the area as well as many reported infractions made by landlords. How do you plan to address housing?
“It’s no secret that New York state has a shortage of housing. The housing stock is old and housing costs are through the roof. That’s why as Mayor of Binghamton, I made investing in market rate and affordable housing a priority. We also need to get our property tax burden under control by eliminating unfunded state mandates in Albany.”
Access to reproductive health care has been a big concern for many students and young people across the nation. What do you plan to do to address these concerns?
“New Yorkers reproductive health laws have been on the books since before Roe v. Wade and have been expanded since. I would not and could not change New York state’s reproductive rights laws. As the son of an OB/GYN and retired social worker, I recognize the importance of women’s health access and I would support the Equal Rights amendment if elected.”
What do you offer the students and youth of Broome County and why should they vote for you?
“As Binghamton’s mayor, I led the effort to revitalize downtown to create a destination for students and youth to live, work, study and play. I have a track record of making our community more vibrant by securing quality housing, more safe by investing in public safety and more prosperous by fostering business development. It’s also very important to me that we invested in youth programming to keep kids on the right track. I offer a chance for you to stay in New York as we fight for the same results in the state capital. We have to lower taxes and invest in economic development so there are good paying jobs when graduating from high school or college.”