VoterLens
New York State Senate District 46
State University of New York Albany—B.S. Psychology
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Martha McHugh is a public servant and community leader running for New York's 46th State Senate District. Her background includes more than 30 years across New York State government and small-business ownership, including service as Assistant Commissioner of Health under Governor George Pataki, senior leadership at the Wadsworth Center, and ten years owning and operating a small business.
Committee Assignments: No committee assignments available.
Martha G. McHugh, the Republican candidate for New York State Senate District 46 in 2026, frames healthcare mainly as a cost-and-access issue. Her stated healthcare platform supports cutting regulatory red tape, increasing insurer competition, improving price transparency, easing private-insurance enrollment, and expanding health savings accounts; no roll-call votes or sponsored bills were found because she is not currently identified as a sitting state legislator.
Specific Actions & Proposals
McHugh supports cutting healthcare red tape as part of her plan to lower healthcare costs for families in New York's 46th Senate District.
SourceMcHugh supports increasing competition among insurers as a healthcare cost-relief strategy.
SourceMcHugh supports improving cost transparency so families can better understand and manage healthcare spending.
SourceMcHugh supports expanding health savings accounts as part of her healthcare affordability plan.
SourceIn a science-policy questionnaire, McHugh said individuals should work closely with their healthcare providers when making vaccination decisions for themselves and their children.
SourceMartha McHugh’s Economy & Jobs position emphasizes lowering taxes, fees, utility costs, and mandates for families and small businesses while promoting economic growth, local investment, and workforce pipelines. She supports performance-based incentives tied to real jobs, employer partnerships/apprenticeships, budget restraint, and energy affordability as economic competitiveness measures.
Specific Actions & Proposals
McHugh supports replacing open-ended data-center tax exemptions with performance-based incentives tied to real jobs and investment, including clawbacks if companies fail to deliver.
SourceIn a campaign interview preview, McHugh is described as discussing job creation, data centers, utility prices, economic investment, and local control over solar complexes as part of her State Senate District 46 campaign.
SourceShe says visa policy is federal, supports targeted security vetting for international STEM students rather than across-the-board restrictions, and opposes New York trying to override federal immigration law.
Specific Actions & Proposals
McHugh said New York should work with Congress and other states to seek targeted security vetting for international STEM students and researchers rather than broad visa limits that could harm New York universities, hospitals, and technology sectors.
SourceMartha McHugh frames Climate & Energy primarily around affordability, reliability, local control, and energy choice. She supports pausing taxes, fees, mandates, and utility rate hikes that raise bills; keeping nuclear, hydropower, natural gas, storage, wind, and solar in the mix when reliable and locally supported; and requiring cost and reliability checks before new mandates take effect.
Specific Actions & Proposals
McHugh supports pausing state taxes, fees, and mandates that she says have driven up household utility bills and supports rebate relief for utility-paying residents.
SourceMcHugh supports maintaining energy choice, encouraging diverse energy production, and ensuring climate policies do not impose unsustainable costs on residents.
SourceMcHugh says New York should prioritize affordable, reliable, lower-emission energy; keep existing nuclear, hydropower, and natural gas plants online until replacements are proven; and require public cost estimates and reliability sign-offs before new mandates take effect.
SourceMcHugh opposed state renewable-energy siting authority overriding home rule and criticized ORES in connection with large solar siting disputes in Montgomery County.
SourceDuring the Senate District 46 debate, McHugh said she was demanding that Governor Hochul issue an emergency moratorium on utility rate hikes set to affect bills in the spring.
SourceMartha McHugh has made only limited education-specific statements in available sources for the 2026 New York State Senate District 46 race. Her stated education-related priorities emphasize access to good schools, expanding career and technical education and apprenticeships, and seeking a fairer share of childcare funding for upstate families.
Specific Actions & Proposals
McHugh said she would expand career and technical education and apprenticeships so young people in Albany, Schenectady, and Troy have a path to good-paying trades.
SourceMcHugh lists fighting for upstate families to receive their fair share of childcare funding among her key ideas on her campaign issues page.
SourceMartha (Marti) McHugh, the Republican candidate for New York State Senate District 46, frames public safety as a core campaign priority focused on safer neighborhoods, supporting law enforcement, revising bail policy, addressing violent crime, and responding to the opioid crisis through prevention, treatment, and recovery.
Specific Actions & Proposals
McHugh says she is committed to supporting law enforcement and restoring common-sense bail policies to keep neighborhoods safe in New York Senate District 46.
SourceMcHugh states that she will advocate balanced bail policies, repeal of the HALT Act, and reform of Raise the Age for violent youth offenses.
SourceMcHugh says her public-safety approach emphasizes safer neighborhoods, support for law enforcement, and practical reforms addressing violent crime and the opioid crisis.
SourceMcHugh’s campaign platform says public safety requires empowering local law enforcement to keep streets safe and communities secure.
SourceMcHugh’s campaign home page identifies restoring public safety so families feel secure in every neighborhood as a top campaign priority.
SourceMartha McHugh for State Senate - FAQ
https://www.marthamchugh.com/faqFetched: biography, hometown, professional background
Martha McHugh for State Senate - Leadership in Action
https://www.marthamchugh.com/leadership-in-actionFetched: biography, professional background
VOTE411 Voter Guide - Martha McHugh
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73189180Fetched: biography, education, professional background
New York State Board of Elections - June 23, 2026 Primary Certification
https://elections.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2026/05/accessible-june-23-2026-primary-certification-amended-5.13.26_0.pdfFetched: office confirmation
Transparency USA
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/race/new-york-state-senate-district-46-74486Fetched: campaignFinance
Transparency USA
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/martha-mchugh/contributorsFetched: campaignFinance
New York State Board of Elections
https://elections.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2026/05/accessible-june-23-2026-primary-certification-amended-5.13.26_0.pdfFetched: endorsements
Martha McHugh for State Senate Leadership in Action
https://www.marthamchugh.com/leadership-in-actionFetched: issuePositions
Scientist Network for Advancing Policy
https://snapcoalition.org/initiatives/stance-on-science/candidates/ny/martha-mchughFetched: issuePositions
Scientist Network for Advancing Policy candidate questionnaire
https://snapcoalition.org/initiatives/stance-on-science/candidates/ny/martha-mchughFetched: issuePositions
Martha McHugh campaign state budget page
https://www.marthamchugh.com/the-state-budgetFetched: issuePositions
Power & Politics podcast listing
https://www.podcasts-online.org/power-politics-1763899703Fetched: issuePositions
Hyperlocal Loop
https://hyperlocalloop.com/state-senate-district-46-candidates-debate-renewable-energy-siting-and-local-control/Fetched: issuePositions
Podscan.fm
https://www.podscan.fm/podcasts/power-amp-politics/episodes/campaign-2026-senate-district-46-debate-martha-mchugh-r-vs-pat-fahy-dFetched: issuePositions
VOTE411 Voter Guide
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73189180Fetched: issuePositions
Martha McHugh for State Senate - District
https://www.marthamchugh.com/districtFetched: issuePositions
BallotReady - Martha G. McHugh
https://www.ballotready.org/people/martha-g-mchughFetched: issuePositions