VoterLens
New York State Senate District 49
State University of New York at Albany—BS in History
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Mark Walczyk began his public-service career after graduating from the University at Albany and joined the staff of New York State Senator Patty Ritchie in 2011, where he worked on constituent services and policy. He was elected to the Watertown City Council in 2015, elected to the New York State Assembly in 2018, and began serving as Senator for New York's 49th Senate District in January 2023. He has also served as a commissioned engineer officer in the United States Army Reserve since 2012.
Committee Assignments: Elections Committee · Cities 2 · Banks Committee · Energy and Telecommunications Committee · Internet and Technology Committee · Housing, Construction and Community Development Committee · Legislative Commission on Rural Resources
Mark Walczyk, Republican/Conservative state senator for New York Senate District 49, emphasizes rural health-care access and skepticism of state health mandates or expanded health programs he views as overreach or costly. His record includes sponsoring a local rural hospital governance bill, co-sponsoring telehealth access legislation, supporting Medicaid coverage for cancer treatment devices, opposing some health-related Senate measures, and publicly backing essential-service status for EMS.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Walczyk publicly supported designating EMS as an essential service and criticized its removal from the final New York State budget.
SourceWalczyk opposed reinstated Department of Health quarantine regulations, arguing they gave the executive branch excessive authority over residents during contagious-disease outbreaks.
SourceMark Walczyk emphasizes affordability, lower energy costs, reduced state spending, and fewer regulations as his main economy-and-jobs themes. He argues that New York’s current tax, spending, and energy policies drive up costs for families and businesses, hurt job growth, and push residents and employers out of the state.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Walczyk stated opposition to the draft state energy plan, arguing that higher energy costs and limits on natural gas and nuclear power would hurt economic growth and job creation.
SourceWalczyk announced an energy-affordability package focused on cutting government fees from utility bills and requiring fiscal notes for legislation that would affect ratepayers.
SourceMark Walczyk frames immigration primarily as a border-security, public-safety, and election-integrity issue. He supports citizenship verification for voter registration and opposes policies he describes as special accommodations for undocumented migrants, noncitizen voting, sanctuary-state measures, and limits on cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Walczyk criticized state guidance requiring schools to enroll migrant children regardless of vaccination, proof of residency, or school records, saying children of people who entered illegally should not receive more liberty than children of citizens and legal residents.
SourceWalczyk applauded the New York Court of Appeals ruling striking down New York City's noncitizen municipal voting law, saying voting is reserved for U.S. citizens and that noncitizen voting undermines democratic elections.
SourceDuring Senate floor debate, Walczyk argued that a public-protection budget subpart would make polling sites sanctuary locations, restrict sharing citizenship information with the federal government, and block sheriffs from coordinating with federal immigration authorities.
SourceWalczyk joined Senate Republicans urging election reforms tied to concerns that the Green Light Law could create voter-registration vulnerabilities for noncitizens and supported repeal of policies they described as inviting unnecessary risk.
SourceMark Walczyk, Republican/Conservative New York State Senator for District 49, emphasizes energy affordability and grid reliability, criticizing New York’s CLCPA-driven mandates as costly and unreliable. His climate and energy actions favor repealing or reviewing energy surcharges and mandates, requiring cost transparency, preserving dispatchable generation, and increasing local control over renewable-energy siting.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Walczyk joined Senate Energy Committee colleagues in urging Governor Hochul to reconvene the Climate Action Council to review CLCPA costs and propose affordability-focused changes.
SourceWalczyk called for a comprehensive halt on decommissioning bridge-fuel power plants until sufficient nuclear-energy resources are developed to replace lost capacity.
SourceMark Walczyk, Republican state senator for New York Senate District 49, emphasizes parental rights, local school decision-making, school safety, and education policies aligned with conservative positions. His education record includes sponsoring or co-sponsoring bills on nursing-student human-trafficking training, bullying-parent notification, outdoor education in high school physical education, girls' school athletics, and opposition to state directives requiring public schools to enroll migrant children without standard documentation.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Walczyk opposed state guidance requiring public schools to enroll migrant children regardless of vaccination records, proof of residency, or school records, criticizing the policy as unfair to citizen and legal-resident students.
SourceMark Walczyk, the Republican/Conservative New York State Senator for District 49, frames public safety around strengthening police staffing, increasing accountability for youth crime, and supporting correction officers. His record and statements emphasize law-enforcement resources, correctional facility security, opposition to early-release or reform measures he views as weakening safety, and repeal or overhaul of policies such as Raise the Age and HALT.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Walczyk supported correction officer safety measures including body scanners, secure vendor mail, drug-sniffing dogs in prisons, and repeal of the HALT Act, saying current policy limits officers' ability to maintain order.
SourceWalczyk opposed legislation expanding the State Commission of Correction, arguing it would politicize correctional oversight and undermine public safety rather than improve accountability.
SourceNYSenate.gov
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/mark-walczykFetched: biography, current office confirmation
Mark for Senate
https://www.mark4senate.com/aboutFetched: biography, committees, background, location
Vote Smart
https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/185315/mark-walczykFetched: biography, education, location, professional background, committees
NYSenate.gov District Page
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/mark-walczyk/districtFetched: votingRecord
Election.org / Open States current officeholder listing
https://www.election.org/state/new-york/legislature/upper/district-49Fetched: votingRecord
Transparency USA
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/mark-c-walczyk/contributionsFetched: campaignFinance
New York State Board of Elections Public Reporting System
https://publicreporting.elections.ny.gov/Fetched: campaignFinance
New York State Public Employees Federation
https://www.pef.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024-NYS-Senate-Endorsements.pdfFetched: endorsements
Upstate United
https://upstateunited.com/news/upstate-united-announces-endorsements-in-state-senate-and-assembly-races/Fetched: endorsements
Transport Workers Union Local 100
https://www.twulocal100.org/sites/twulocal100.org/files/twu_local_100_election_endorsements.pdfFetched: endorsements
New York League of Conservation Voters
https://www.nylcv.org/wp-content/uploads/NYS-Scorecard-2025.pdfFetched: endorsements
NYSenate.gov - Senator Mark Walczyk official profile
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/mark-walczykFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S9519
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S9519Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S584
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S584Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S6736A
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S6736/amendment/AFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - EMS essential service press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/mark-walczyk/senator-walczyk-slams-removal-essential-serviceFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - quarantine regulations press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/mark-walczyk/senator-walczyk-denounces-court-decision-reinstateFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Mark Walczyk official profile
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/mark-walczykFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Bill S7075
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7075Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Bill S4959
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4959Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Bill S1749
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1749Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate press release on draft energy plan
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/mark-walczyk/senator-walczyk-takes-stand-against-foolhardy-energy-planFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate press release on lower energy bills
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/mark-walczyk/senator-walczyk-moves-lower-energy-bills-and-ensureFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Senator Mark Walczyk District Page
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/mark-walczyk/districtFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S2345 Bill Page
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S2345Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Migrant Children Press Release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/mark-walczyk/senator-walczyk-reacts-migrant-children-forced-nys-public?page=5Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Noncitizen Voting Court Ruling Press Release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/mark-walczyk/senator-walczyk-celebrates-court-ruling-upholding-voting?page=8Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - May 21, 2026 Floor Transcript
https://www.nysenate.gov/transcripts/2026-05-21t1117Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Election Reform Package Letter
https://www.nysenate.gov/sites/default/files/file/2026-07/election-reform-package-letter-to-governor_0.pdfFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Mark Walczyk District page
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/mark-walczyk/districtFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S7075 bill page
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7075Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S8447 bill page
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8447Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S9917 bill page
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S9917Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Energy Committee CLCPA letter press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/mario-r-mattera/senator-mattera-and-senate-energy-committee-colleaguesFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Walczyk energy bills press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/mark-walczyk/senator-walczyk-moves-lower-energy-bills-and-ensureFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senator Mark Walczyk profile
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/mark-walczykFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S45
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S45Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S1517
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1517Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Girls' Sports press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/mark-walczyk/senator-walczyk-stands-girls-sports-no-boys-girlsFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Jacobe's Law press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/mark-walczyk/senator-walczyk-co-sponsors-legislation-enacting-jacobesFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Migrant children public school enrollment press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/mark-walczyk/senator-walczyk-reacts-migrant-children-forced-nys-publicFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Mark Walczyk District Page
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/mark-walczyk/districtFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Ilion Police Bills Press Release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/mark-walczyk/senator-walczyk-two-bills-ilion-police-department-becomeFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Youth Violence and Raise the Age Press Release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/mark-walczyk/senator-walczyk-responds-hochuls-inaction-escalatingFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Correction Officers Press Release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/mark-walczyk/senator-walczyk-stands-correction-officersFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S856 Press Release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/mark-walczyk/senator-walczyk-denounces-s856-dangerous-mistakeFetched: issuePositions