VoterLens
New York State Senate District 42
The George Washington University—Bachelor's Degree; Columbia University—Master's Degree
Data last updated 10/21/2026
James Skoufis is a Democratic New York State Senator representing the 42nd District. He previously served six years in the New York State Assembly and was first elected to the State Senate in 2018; his official Senate biography says he has focused on Hudson Valley working- and middle-class issues, schools, infrastructure, and fighting corruption.
Committee Assignments: Investigations and Government Operations Chair · Administrative Regulations Review Commission (ARRC) Member · Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Member · Finance Member · Insurance Member · Judiciary Member · Labor Member · Local Government Member · State-Native American Relations Member
James Skoufis supports expanding healthcare access through insurance coverage mandates, lower prescription-drug costs, reproductive healthcare access, pharmacy access, and health-system transparency. As the Democratic state senator for New York Senate District 42, he has sponsored and voted for multiple healthcare-related bills in the 2021-2026 sessions.
James Skoufis, Democratic state senator for New York Senate District 42, emphasizes job creation paired with taxpayer accountability: he supports targeted workforce and business incentives, but pushes oversight and clawbacks when economic-development subsidies do not deliver promised jobs. He has sponsored or backed measures involving work opportunity tax credits, IDA reform, economic-development transparency, fuel-tax relief, and emerging-industry job growth.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Skoufis urged the Orange County IDA monitor to recover incentives from projects that failed to meet job-creation and retention commitments, arguing taxpayers need stronger penalties and accountability.
SourceJames Skoufis supports state-level protections for immigrant communities, including a bill he introduced to streamline U/T visa certifications for immigrant crime and trafficking survivors. He has also aligned with local and state officials opposing a proposed ICE processing facility in Chester, New York.
Specific Actions & Proposals
A New York Senate letter states that Skoufis joined a bipartisan coalition opposing the proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center at the former Pep Boys warehouse in Chester.
SourceJames Skoufis is a Democratic New York State Senator for District 42 who has supported major climate and clean-energy legislation, including New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and bills to transition schools, fossil-fuel sites, and building-scale solar toward renewable energy. His record shows support for renewable energy deployment, energy storage, emissions reduction, and planning to replace older fossil-fuel generation.
James Skoufis, Democratic New York State Senator for District 42, emphasizes stronger public education funding, school safety, student access, and affordability in K-12 and higher education. His education record includes sponsoring bills on school funding/access issues, school resource officers, free public transportation for high school students, tuition-free SUNY/CUNY, and voting to improve heat-safety policies in school buildings.
James Skoufis, the Democratic state senator for New York Senate District 42, emphasizes public safety through creating or expanding criminal penalties for harassment, protecting emergency responders, strengthening gun-risk intervention tools, and child-safety/family-court reforms.
NYSenate.gov - About James Skoufis
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/james-skoufis/aboutFetched: biography, hometown, education, committees
The Commons Gallery
https://www.commonsgallery.com/senator/SKOUFISFetched: votingRecord, campaignFinance
Transparency USA
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/james-g-skoufis?cycle=2024-election-cycleFetched: campaignFinance
Public Campaign Finance Board
https://pcfb.ny.gov/07302024-pcfb-commissioner-report-approval-disburse-public-matching-fundsFetched: campaignFinance
Blue Voter Guide
https://bluevoterguide.org/district/NY/New_York_State_Senate_District_42/51831/830Fetched: endorsements
VOTE411 Voter Guide
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73189168Fetched: endorsements, ratings
Vote Smart
https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/142704/james-skoufisFetched: candidate_identity
New York League of Conservation Voters
https://nylcv.org/news/nylcv-releases-2023-state-environmental-scorecard/Fetched: ratings
NYSenate.gov
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2019/james-skoufis/skoufis-earns-perfect-100-score-ny-league-conservationFetched: ratings
New York State Senate - James Skoufis District Page
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/james-skoufis/districtFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S8869
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8869Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S371
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S371Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S7918
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7918Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S5732
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S5732Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S6603
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S6603Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Work Opportunity Tax Credit article
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/2025/james-skoufis/assemblymember-harry-bronson-senator-james-skoufis-fight?page=0Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S1883 economic development entities bill
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S1883Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - IDA reform press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2021/senate-passes-reforms-industrial-development-agenciesFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S6003 space exploration task force bill
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S6003Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - IDA clawback article
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/2026/james-skoufis/skoufis-urges-state-monitor-claw-back-ida-incentivesFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov legislation page for S9257
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S9257Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov PDF letter regarding Chester ICE facility proposal
https://www.nysenate.gov/sites/default/files/file/2026-01/re_-proposal-for-chester-ice-facility.pdfFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov James Skoufis district page
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/james-skoufis/districtFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - James Skoufis profile
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/james-skoufis/aboutFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S6599 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/S6599Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S1829 renewable redevelopment of dormant electric generating sites
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S1829Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S2935C Just Energy Transition Act
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S2935/amendment/CFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S2482 Go Green Schools Act
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S2482Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S8512 portable solar generation devices
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8512Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Skoufis on proposed state aid cuts to education
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/2024/james-skoufis/skoufis-proposed-state-aid-cuts-education-over-our-deadFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S1160
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S1160Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S9336
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S9336Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S1696
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1696Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S4781
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4781Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S775
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S775Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S4740/amendment/AFetched: issuePositions