VoterLens
New York State Senate District 54
Georgia State University—Master of Arts in Communications; Hobart College—Bachelor of Arts
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Michael Mills is a Democratic candidate for New York State Senate District 54 in 2026 and has served on the Canandaigua City Council. He is a small business owner with nearly 30 years of work on policy issues including water quality, climate change, health care access, agriculture, business investment, and consumer empowerment. He previously served as executive director of the Geneva Business Improvement District and president of the Ontario County Chamber of Commerce.
Committee Assignments: No committee assignments available.
Michael Mills supports expanding healthcare access and affordability in New York State Senate District 54, with particular emphasis on rural healthcare, Medicaid, emergency services, medical debt, and underserved communities. He also states support for the New York Health Act to create a universal single-payer healthcare system in New York.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Mills supports passing the New York Health Act, which he describes as creating a universal single-payer healthcare system guaranteeing comprehensive coverage for every New York resident and full-time worker.
SourceMills says he will fight to increase state reimbursement rates for rural healthcare clinics and hospitals to address healthcare access disparities in the 54th District.
SourceMills calls for raising the district's profile to secure expanded healthcare as part of making New York more affordable for families and communities.
SourceMills supports protecting rural hospitals and emergency services from federal funding cuts as part of his safety and services platform.
SourceMichael Mills, the Democratic candidate for New York State Senate District 54 in 2026, frames his Economy & Jobs agenda around affordability, workforce development, small-business support, family farms, and regional economic development. He supports apprenticeships and career-connected education, investments in manufacturing and public infrastructure, and economic-development rules meant to ensure local benefits rather than shifting costs to taxpayers or ratepayers.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Mills supports strengthening the workforce through education and onramps to skilled trades, light manufacturing, health and senior care, hospitality, and agriculture.
SourceMills says he would support local farmers by bridging progressive state environmental and labor goals with the practical realities and slim margins of multi-generational family farms.
SourceMills opposes allowing hyperscale data centers unless developers pay for renewable energy, grid improvements, environmental protections, and infrastructure, arguing they provide too few long-term good-paying jobs for the costs imposed.
SourceMills described affordability as his first priority and said he views it as growing the economy to drive affordability for the district.
SourceMichael Mills frames immigration around both workforce needs and immigrant humanity, especially for farms and other industries in New York Senate District 54. He supports expanding visas, creating a more inclusive pathway to citizenship, and making farm labor access safer, more reliable, and more consistent.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Mills said Albany should advocate in Washington to expand visas because farmers face labor constraints tied to federal immigration policy.
SourceMichael Mills supports climate and energy policies centered on lowering household energy costs, modernizing the grid, expanding public renewables and battery storage, protecting Finger Lakes waterways, and making climate policy more affordable and practical for farms and communities. He also supports modifying New York's CLCPA deadlines and mandates to better address affordability and economic growth while still pursuing environmental protection.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Mills said the most beneficial climate policies for New York include aggressive grid modernization and deployment of public renewables.
SourceMills's campaign issues page calls for lowering household energy bills through efficiency investments and securing funds for weatherization programs for low-income households.
SourceIn a WXXI/PBS candidate forum, Mills said New York needs to grow renewable capacity, increase battery storage, and stop situations where the region hosts solar or energy projects without being able to tap into the power or receive adequate local benefit.
SourceAt his campaign launch, Mills listed environmental protection as a core priority and vowed to fight exploitation of the Finger Lakes while protecting local lakes and natural resources.
SourceMichael Mills supports education primarily as a workforce and opportunity issue: expanding career-connected education, apprenticeships, BOCES, and trade pathways so residents can access skilled work and economic mobility. He has also identified access to quality education as one of the challenges facing the Finger Lakes region.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Mills supports providing onramps to meaningful work through education, including career-connected education tied to skilled trades, manufacturing, health and senior care, hospitality, and agriculture.
SourceIn a VOTE411 candidate response, Mills said he would pursue policies that aggressively expand investments in BOCES and trade apprenticeships as part of social and economic justice.
SourceIn his campaign announcement, Mills listed access to quality education among the major challenges facing the Finger Lakes region that he wants to address in Albany.
SourceIn his campaign launch statement shared on LinkedIn, Mills said communities must build onramps to a more secure future, with the post also noting his family connection to teaching and education.
SourceBallotReady lists Mills as a 2026 candidate for New York State Senate District 54 and records his support for strengthening the workforce by providing education-linked pathways into skilled trades and other local industries.
SourceMichael Mills's public-safety record and campaign materials emphasize funding essential emergency response services, including EMS, police, fire, dispatch/911, and clean-water-related infrastructure. As a Canandaigua City Council member, he supported city-level public safety reviews and police equipment funding, while his State Senate campaign says he would pursue investments in emergency response for District 54.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Mills's State Senate campaign launch identified "Essential services and safety" as a core priority and emphasized the need for funding in emergency response, clean water, Medicaid, and roads and bridges.
SourceVOTE411 Voter Guide
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73189204Fetched: biography, education, background
New York State Board of Elections Primary Certification
https://elections.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2026/05/accessible-june-23-2026-primary-certification-amended-5.13.26_0.pdfFetched: biography
Open States / Plural Policy New York Legislators
https://open.pluralpolicy.com/ny/legislators/Fetched: votingRecord
Election.org New York State Senate District 54 Current Officeholder
https://election.org/state/new-york/legislature/upper/district-54Fetched: votingRecord
99chambers Michael Mills New York Senate District 54 2026
https://99chambers.app/candidate/michael-mills-nyFetched: campaignFinance
NYS Board of Elections Campaign Finance Disclosure Reports Data
https://data.ny.gov/Government-Finance/Campaign-Finance-Disclosure-Reports-Data-Beginning/e9ss-239aFetched: campaignFinance
Blue Voter Guide
https://bluevoterguide.org/district/NY/New_York_State_Senate_District_54/51843/830Fetched: endorsements
FingerLakes1.com
https://www.fingerlakes1.com/2026/08/06/geneva-democrats-endorse-ellman-full-ticket-for-november/Fetched: endorsements
BallotReady candidate profile
https://www.ballotready.org/people/michael-mills-4471d503-089b-48cc-83ba-ebb13ed50b4eFetched: issuePositions
BallotReady
https://www.ballotready.org/people/michael-mills-4471d503-089b-48cc-83ba-ebb13ed50b4eFetched: issuePositions
PBS
https://www.pbs.org/video/candidates-in-the-democratic-primary-for-new-york-senate-district-54-gw2uaa/Fetched: issuePositions
WXXI News
https://www.wxxinews.org/show/connections/2026-09-25/michael-mills-candidate-for-nys-senate-district-54Fetched: issuePositions
PBS/WXXI Connections with Evan Dawson
https://www.pbs.org/video/candidates-in-the-democratic-primary-for-new-york-senate-district-54-gw2uaa/Fetched: issuePositions
VOTE411 Voter Guide
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/m/race-detail.do?id=26977114Fetched: issuePositions
PBS / WXXI Connections Candidate Forum
https://www.pbs.org/video/candidates-in-the-democratic-primary-for-new-york-senate-district-54-gw2uaa/Fetched: issuePositions
FingerLakes1
https://www.fingerlakes1.com/2025/09/22/mills-launches-state-senate-campaign-with-focus-on-finger-lakes-priorities/Fetched: issuePositions
Finger Lakes Daily News
https://www.fingerlakesdailynews.com/local/ontario-seneca-wayne/canandaigua-city-councilor-announces-bid-for-state-senate/Fetched: issuePositions
Fetched: issuePositions
FingerLakes1.com
https://www.fingerlakes1.com/2025/09/22/mills-launches-state-senate-campaign-with-focus-on-finger-lakes-priorities/Fetched: issuePositions
City of Canandaigua City Council Minutes
https://www.canandaiguanewyork.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_01062025-404Fetched: issuePositions
City of Canandaigua City Council Minutes
https://www.canandaiguanewyork.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_05192025-435Fetched: issuePositions
City of Canandaigua Planning Committee & Finance Committee Agenda
https://canandaiguanewyork.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_02092026-482Fetched: issuePositions