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New York State Assembly District 124
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Christopher Friend
Republican PartySTH · NY · District 124
New York State Assembly District 124
STH · NY · District 124
New York State Assembly District 124
University of New Hampshire—BS Chemistry; SUNY Buffalo—MS and PhD Chemistry
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Christopher S. Friend represents New York’s 124th Assembly District and was first elected in 2010. Before entering public service, he worked as a research chemist, was named a National Science Foundation IGERT Fellow, and published more than 20 scientific papers and symposium contributions. He later served on the Big Flats Parks Commission and in the Chemung County Legislature before joining the New York State Assembly.
Committee Assignments: Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions · Committee on Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry · Committee on Local Governments · Committee on Social Services
Christopher S. Friend, Republican Assemblymember for New York Assembly District 124, frames healthcare policy around affordability for taxpayers and access/quality concerns in the Southern Tier. He has opposed targeted state-funded health benefits he says are unfair to law-abiding taxpayers, supported scrutiny of COVID-era nursing-home policy, opposed cuts to regional mental-health services, and co-sponsored a bill restricting COVID-19 mRNA vaccination administration pending a health-department study.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Friend objected to the Governor's planned $1 million program providing primary, sexual and behavioral health care and dental coverage for sex workers, arguing the state should focus on making care more affordable for New Yorkers generally.
SourceFriend participated in and supported a minority-led forum and called for a thorough independent investigation into New York's handling of nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SourceFriend joined regional lawmakers in strongly opposing Cuomo administration changes that would shut down inpatient services and diminish Elmira Psychiatric Center's role, citing risks to mental-health care quality in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes.
SourceChristopher S. Friend, the Republican Assembly member for New York Assembly District 124, emphasizes lower taxes, reduced regulation, small-business relief, infrastructure investment, and upstate-focused job creation. He has also supported natural gas development and rural economic-development strategies as ways to strengthen the Southern Tier economy.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Friend said New York should pursue sustainable tax relief, regulatory reform, job-creation strategies that attract new upstate investment, and responsible Marcellus Shale natural gas development to strengthen local economies.
SourceAt an economic development budget hearing, Friend argued that cutting red tape on businesses would support job growth and allow economic growth beyond New York City.
SourceFriend and Assemblyman Phil Palmesano urged continued state investment in CHIPS and local transportation infrastructure, saying roads and bridges are important to tourism, economic development, and job creation.
SourceFriend opposed the Assembly Majority budget proposal, arguing that higher taxes would hurt businesses and that New York needed a budget making the state a better home for businesses and families.
SourceChristopher Friend’s immigration record emphasizes tougher cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and local control over migrant housing decisions. He has opposed using state resources such as SUNY campuses for migrant housing and has argued that Washington should slow migrant releases and address the border/migrant crisis federally.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Friend called on New York Majority lawmakers to work with Washington, D.C. to put reasonable measures in place to slow the rate of migrants being released into the country.
SourceFriend said state resources should not be used for what he called a federal failure and stated that SUNY Cobleskill and other campuses should be off-limits for housing migrants.
SourceChristopher Friend supports a more affordability- and reliability-focused energy policy, criticizing accelerated CLCPA mandates as contributing to higher costs and grid risk. He backs an "all-of-the-above" approach including natural gas, nuclear, renewables, emerging technologies, ratepayer relief, and energy-cost transparency.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Friend supported an Assembly Minority initiative to reduce energy costs, provide ratepayer rebates and bill credits, require advance notice of major supply-rate increases, and promote natural gas, nuclear, renewables, emerging technologies, and infrastructure upgrades.
SourceFriend said the Southern Tier could benefit from using natural gas resources and criticized New York for not allowing local access to energy stored beneath the region.
SourceChristopher S. Friend supports a local-control and safety-focused education agenda: more school safety resources, flexibility for in-person learning, and relief for districts from zero-emission school-bus mandates. He has also supported higher-education anti-discrimination compliance by voting yes on a bill requiring Title VI coordinators at New York colleges and universities.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Friend supported adding budget funding and legal changes for school safety measures including school resource officer training, mental-health supports, anonymous tip lines, and school security infrastructure aid.
SourceFriend joined Southern Tier and Finger Lakes legislators calling on the Cuomo administration to reduce the school distancing mandate from six feet to three feet so more students could return to full-time in-person learning.
SourceChristopher Friend emphasizes public safety through tougher criminal-justice measures, including restoring judicial discretion in bail decisions, changing Raise the Age rules for violent 16- and 17-year-old offenders, increasing school safety funding, restricting sex offender residency near places used by children, and pausing the HALT Act in prisons.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Friend called for the Legislature to restore judges' ability to detain defendants who are violent or pose a threat to public safety, citing concerns with the 2019 bail reform law.
SourceFriend supported funding a school safety plan that included school resource officer training, school safety agents, mental-health reporting, anonymous tip lines, and security infrastructure funding.
SourceFriend called on the governor to pause the HALT Act, arguing that restrictions on solitary confinement increased violence and put correction officers and inmates at risk.
SourceNew York State Assembly biography
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/bio/Fetched: biography, location, education, background
New York State Assembly committee membership
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/comm/Fetched: committees
New York State Assembly Biography
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/bio/Fetched: votingRecord
Transparency USA Candidate Profile
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/christopher-s-friendFetched: campaignFinance
Transparency USA Race Profile
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/race/new-york-state-assembly-district-124-74537Fetched: campaignFinance
Upstate United
https://upstateunited.com/news/upstate-united-announces-endorsements-in-state-senate-and-assembly-races/Fetched: endorsements
New York League of Conservation Voters 2024 State Environmental Scorecard
https://nylcv.org/wp-content/uploads/nys-scorecard-2024.pdfFetched: endorsements
Environmental Advocates NY
https://www.eany.org/news/environmental-advocates-ny-releases-2026-legislative-scorecard-following-disastrous-climate-rollbackFetched: endorsements
Turning Point Action New York Scorecard
https://www.tpaction.com/scorecard/states/nyFetched: endorsements
New York State Assembly Member Directory - Christopher S. Friend
https://assembly.ny.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Press Release - Friend Decries Governor’s Plan for Free Health Care Program for Sex Workers
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/story/107047Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Press Release - Nursing Home Investigation Forum
https://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/story/93911Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Press Release - Elmira Psychiatric Center and Monterey Petition
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/story/54220Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Member Directory - Christopher S. Friend Biography
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/bio/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Friend on the Governor's State of the State Address
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/story/116764Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Friend Calling for Solutions For All Regions of NY in Covid-19 Recovery
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/story/92603Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Friend at Economic Development Budget Hearing Points To NY's Burdensome Regulations Hindering Job Growth
https://www.assembly.ny.gov/mem/?ad=124&sh=story&story=91001Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Friend And Palmesano Meet With Highway Superintendents
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/story/46830Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Irresponsible Spending and Cradle-To-Grave Taxation
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/story/41514Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - A2262
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A2262Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - A5653
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5653Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Christopher S. Friend press release May 12, 2023
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/story/106050Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Christopher S. Friend press release May 17, 2023
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/story/106154Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Member Directory - Christopher S. Friend
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/christopher-s-friendFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly press release - Friend Joins Colleagues to Push Responsible Energy Policy
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/story/117041Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - 2025-A5395
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5395Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - 2023-A5198
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/A5198Fetched: issuePositions
WBNG - Blakeman pitches plan to cut utility bills in Binghamton
https://www.wbng.com/2026/08/24/blakeman-pitches-plan-cut-utility-bills-binghamton/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly member page
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/christopher-s-friendFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly press release on school safety
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/story/105589Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly press release on reopening schools
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/story/96202Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly bill page A05168
https://www.nyassembly.gov/leg/?Actions=Y&Memo=Y&Summary=Y&Text=Y&Votes=Y&bn=A05168&leg_video=1&term=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly bill page A02005
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?Actions=Y&Text=Y&bn=A02005&term=0Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly bill page A05448
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?Floor%26nbspVotes=Y&Memo=Y&Summary=Y&bn=A05448&default_fld=&leg_video=&term=2025Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Christopher S. Friend, Assembly District 124
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Friend: Most New Yorkers Support Judicial Discretion to Address Bail Reform Issues, Legislature Must Act
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/story/104814Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Friend Fighting for Funding for School Safety Measures
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/story/105589Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Friend: It’s Time to Correct Raise the Age’s Protection Of Violent Youth Criminals
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/story/105486Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Amendments
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/story/113152Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Friend Sponsors Legislation Barring Sex Offenders From Living Within 1,000 Feet Of Schools, Parks, And Daycares
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend/story/61570Fetched: issuePositions