VoterLens
Back to candidate
Compare candidates
New York State Assembly District 148
Base
JS
Joe Sempolinski
Republican PartySTH · NY · District 148
New York State Assembly District 148
STH · NY · District 148
New York State Assembly District 148
Georgetown University—BA; Yale University—MA, MPhil
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Joe Sempolinski was elected to the New York State Assembly for District 148 on November 5, 2024, representing Allegany and Cattaraugus counties and parts of Steuben County. He previously served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, district director for Congressman Tom Reed, director of development at Archbishop Walsh Academy in Olean, and chief of staff for Assemblyman Joseph M. Giglio.
Committee Assignments: Committee on Education · Committee on Environmental Conservation · Committee on Higher Education · Committee on Labor · Committee on Mental Health · Committee on People with Disabilities
Joe Sempolinski says he opposes single-payer health care and favors lowering costs through competition rather than government-run health care. He also emphasizes protecting rural health care access, keeping rural hospitals open, opposing assisted suicide, and improving hospice care.
Joe Sempolinski emphasizes controlling state spending, reducing mandates, partnering with businesses to encourage job creation, including in agriculture, and lowering energy and infrastructure costs for Southern Tier residents and employers.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Sempolinski supported the Assembly Minority LOWER plan to reduce utility costs through ratepayer rebates, bill credits, and expanded energy supply options.
SourceSempolinski called for adding $250 million to the 2026-27 state budget for local road and bridge maintenance, arguing infrastructure investment supports economic development and lowers taxpayer costs.
SourceJoe Sempolinski takes a restrictive, enforcement-focused position on immigration: he says immigrants should come legally, the border should be secure, asylum claims should be adjudicated swiftly at the border, and asylum seekers should not be released into the interior while awaiting decisions. As a sitting New York Assembly member for District 148, he also opposed state budget immigration provisions limiting local law-enforcement cooperation in federal immigration enforcement.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Sempolinski states that immigrants who wish to come to the United States need to do so legally and that the border needs to be secure because drug trafficking, human trafficking, and other crimes result from an unsecured border.
SourceSempolinski states that asylum claims should be adjudicated swiftly at the border and that asylum seekers should not be sent into the interior of the United States while awaiting a decision.
SourceJoe Sempolinski’s Climate & Energy position emphasizes affordability, reliability, and opposition to what he describes as unworkable New York climate mandates, especially CLCPA-linked electric school bus and vehicle requirements. He supports an “all-of-the-above” energy approach including natural gas, nuclear, renewables, pipelines and advanced technologies, while backing utility-bill relief and school-district flexibility from zero-emission bus mandates.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Sempolinski joined Assembly Republican colleagues to unveil the LOWER plan, supporting ratepayer rebates, returning climate investment surplus funds as bill credits, and an all-of-the-above energy policy including pipelines, natural gas, nuclear, renewables and advanced technologies.
SourceAt a Gowanda town hall, Sempolinski criticized the CLCPA-linked EV school bus mandate as unaffordable and unworkable while saying he supports environmental protection but not the mandate’s cost structure.
SourceAt a Wellsville town hall, Sempolinski described New York’s energy policies, particularly electric truck and school bus mandates, as unworkable for his district.
SourceJoe Sempolinski emphasizes skills-focused education, parental involvement in curriculum discussions, and support for small rural public schools in Assembly District 148. In office, he has backed education-related bills on student press rights, optional firearm-safety curriculum, and delaying new state mandates after school budgets are set, while also opposing costly electric school-bus mandates for districts.
Specific Actions & Proposals
At a Wellsville town hall, Sempolinski argued that New York's electric school-bus transition is an unfunded mandate that would raise school taxes and does not work well for rural districts.
SourceSempolinski announced he was directing $30,000 in unrestricted state aid to Canaseraga Central School for items including musical instruments and teaching materials.
SourceJoe Sempolinski emphasizes a "Law and Order" public safety platform: he opposes New York's cashless bail law, supports police, rejects defunding police, and says public safety should be prioritized at every level of government. As Assembly District 148's sitting Assemblyman, he sponsored criminal justice bills addressing domestic violence in front of children, police officer doxing, and judicial firearm carry in sensitive locations.
Specific Actions & Proposals
States on his campaign issues page that he is against New York's cashless bail law, stands with police, and opposes the push to defund police.
SourceNew York State Assembly - Joe Sempolinski Biography
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Joe-Sempolinski/Fetched: biography, education, background, location
New York State Assembly - Joe Sempolinski Committee Membership
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Joe-Sempolinski/comm/Fetched: committees
U.S. House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives - SEMPOLINSKI, Joseph
https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/25769822149Fetched: biography, age, education, background
Open States
https://open.pluralpolicy.com/person/joe-sempolinski-27AYyPx5yjCg2o18iyveQQ/Fetched: votingRecord
Open States vote: A 8000
https://open.pluralpolicy.com/vote/aa4bce5d-b7a8-4adb-9bce-36a5ec9c1fb4/Fetched: votingRecord
Open States vote: A 8015
https://open.pluralpolicy.com/vote/65fb130d-b897-44b2-8185-72b1225d3b4f/Fetched: votingRecord
Open States vote: A 8068
https://open.pluralpolicy.com/vote/3c11c151-4ddb-49f6-b087-8174ef4bdfd8/Fetched: votingRecord
MyRepTracker
https://myreptracker.com/new-york/legislators/ny-house-148-joe-sempolinski/voting-recordFetched: votingRecord
Transparency USA
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/race/new-york-state-assembly-district-148-74563Fetched: campaignFinance
Transparency USA Committee
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/committee/joe-sempolinski-for-assembly-2026-506850Fetched: campaignFinance
Olean Times Herald
https://www.oleantimesherald.com/2024/02/27/langworthy-endorses-sempolinski-for-assembly/Fetched: endorsements
Vote Smart - Joe Sempolinski
https://j.futurefacts.votesmart.io/candidate/208849/joe-sempolinskiFetched: identity_check
BallotReady - Joseph Sempolinski
https://www.ballotready.org/people/joseph-sempolinskiFetched: identity_check
BallotReady Joseph Sempolinski Profile
https://www.ballotready.org/people/joseph-sempolinskiFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Joe Sempolinski Sponsored Legislation
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Joe-Sempolinski/sponsor/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly A04693
https://www.assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A04693&leg_video=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly A06924
https://www.nyassembly.gov/leg/?bn=A06924&leg_video=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly member biography
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Joe-Sempolinski/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly sponsored legislation
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Joe-Sempolinski/sponsor/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly bill A04618
https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?Actions=Y&Summary=Y&Text=Y&bn=A4618&default_fld=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly bill A09084
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?Actions=Y&Memo=Y&Text=Y&bn=A09084Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly LOWER plan press release
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Joe-Sempolinski/story/117052Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly CHIPS funding press release
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Joe-Sempolinski/story/117211Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Session Transcript
https://nys.smarttranscriptsai.com/meetings/Full_Assembly/Assembly_Session/2026_05_21_00-00/transcript.htmlFetched: issuePositions
LegiScan - New York Assemblymember Joe Sempolinski
https://legiscan.com/NY/people/joseph-sempolinski/id/25832?chamber=house&record=allFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Member Directory - Joe Sempolinski
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Joe-Sempolinski/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill Search - A02005
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?Actions=Y&Memo=Y&Summary=Y&Text=Y&Votes=Y&bn=A02005&term=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill Search - 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 - LOWER plan press release
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Joe-Sempolinski/story/117052Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Gowanda town hall press release
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Joe-Sempolinski/story/115593Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Wellsville town hall press release
https://assembly.ny.gov/mem/Joe-Sempolinski/story/113882Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly member biography for Joe Sempolinski
https://www.assembly.ny.gov/mem/Joe-Sempolinski/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly press release on Wellsville town hall
https://assembly.ny.gov/mem/Joe-Sempolinski/story/113882Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly press release on Canaseraga Central aid
https://assembly.ny.gov/mem/Joe-Sempolinski/story/119558Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Joe Sempolinski Member Page
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Joe-SempolinskiFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Albany Majority Blocks Law and Order Bills
https://assembly.ny.gov/mem/Joe-Sempolinski/story/114641Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - A.5579 Summary
https://assembly.ny.gov/leg/?bn=A.5579&term=2025Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - A.4636 Summary
https://assembly.ny.gov/leg/?bn=A.4636&term=2025Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - A.5599 Summary
https://assembly.ny.gov/leg/?bn=A.5599&term=2025Fetched: issuePositions