VoterLens
New York State Senate District 40
Dickinson College—BA
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Pete Harckham was elected to the New York State Senate in November 2018 and re-elected in 2020, 2022, and 2024; he represents District 40 and chairs the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee. Before joining the Senate, he served in the Cuomo administration as Assistant Director of the Office of Community Renewal and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge project, and from 2008 to 2015 he served on the Westchester County Board of Legislators, including as Majority Leader. Earlier, he worked as a communications professional for major Madison Avenue advertising agencies, led his own communications and marketing firm, served as board president of A-HOME, and founded K&E Farms in Katonah, NY.
Committee Assignments: Environmental Conservation · Alcoholism and Substance Use Disorders · Crime Victims, Crime and Correction · Insurance · Joint Senate Task Force on Opioids, Addiction & Overdose Prevention · Rules · Transportation · Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs
Peter Harckham, Democratic New York State Senator for District 40, has emphasized protecting health coverage and access to care, including retiree health insurance protections, addiction treatment access, Medicaid audit reform, and safeguards for medically fragile young adults. His healthcare record includes sponsoring bills focused on public retiree benefits, substance use treatment affordability, provider oversight, and discharge planning for vulnerable patients.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Harckham publicly rallied with retirees and union leaders in support of legislation guaranteeing healthcare benefit protections for state and municipal retirees.
SourcePeter Harckham emphasizes affordability, worker protections, infrastructure investment, clean-energy job creation, and support for small businesses in New York Senate District 40. His economic agenda includes tax relief and rebates for residents, stronger labor protections, prevailing wages on publicly supported projects, and solar-energy policies framed as both cost-saving and job-creating.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Harckham supported the enacted FY2025-2026 state budget, highlighting middle-class tax cuts, inflation refund checks, a small business tax credit, Working Families Tax Credit, and transportation infrastructure funding as economic supports.
SourceHarckham urged enactment of legislation requiring prevailing wages on large brownfield projects receiving substantial public support, arguing it would create good union jobs and boost local economies.
SourceHarckham supported the FY2026-2027 state budget, citing POWER energy rebates, continued middle-class tax cuts, school funding, and road and transportation investments as measures to address affordability and strengthen the economy.
SourcePeter Harckham generally supports immigrant-protective policies, including limits on state/local cooperation with immigration enforcement, legal and civic protections for immigrants, and expanded health coverage regardless of immigration status. He has co-sponsored immigration-related legislation and introduced a bill responding to ICE civil arrests near polling places.
Specific Actions & Proposals
New York Immigration Coalition Action, which says its endorsed candidates share its vision for a more inclusive New York, listed Pete Harckham for Senate District 40 among its 2024 endorsed candidates.
SourcePeter Harckham, Democratic state senator for New York Senate District 40 and chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, supports aggressive climate action, clean-energy deployment, electrification, and climate resilience planning. His recent record includes sponsoring legislation to expand distributed solar, help households switch from fossil-fuel heating to electric heat pumps, phase out grade number four fuel oil, and create a statewide climate resilience office.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Harckham publicly supported and announced the Climate Resilient New York Act, saying New York must act now to identify resiliency infrastructure and climate mitigation needs.
SourcePeter Harckham’s education position emphasizes increasing state aid to public schools, expanding universal pre-K, supporting school meals, and ensuring special-education providers are reimbursed fairly. As the Democratic State Senator for New York’s 40th District, he has also sponsored or co-sponsored education-law bills on special-act school tuition reimbursement, humane education, and school nurse staffing.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Harckham supported the enacted FY2026-2027 state budget provisions providing a minimum 2% Foundation Aid increase for all SD40 school districts, full universal pre-K outside New York City by 2028, and $2 million in tax-loss mitigation aid for Hendrick Hudson schools.
SourcePeter Harckham presents public safety as a priority focused on funding local law enforcement, first responders, emergency communications, pedestrian safety, domestic-violence protections, and gun-safety measures. As the Democratic state senator for New York Senate District 40, he has sponsored or supported bills and grants aimed at first-responder support, police readiness, and reducing firearm-related risks.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Harckham announced $2.1 million in state grant funding for SD40 municipalities to use for first-responder equipment, emergency communications systems, infrastructure upgrades, or pedestrian safety projects.
SourceHarckham announced more than $500,000 in law enforcement and public-safety grants for eight municipalities and law-enforcement agencies in Senate District 40.
SourceNYSenate.gov
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/pete-harckham/aboutFetched: biography, location, committees
BallotReady
https://www.ballotready.org/people/peter-b-harckhamFetched: education, professional background, current office
Transparency USA
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/race/new-york-state-senate-district-40-74480Fetched: campaignFinance
New York Public Campaign Finance Board
https://pcfb.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2025/01/2024-new-york-state-public-campaign-finance-board-election-cycle-report-final.pdfFetched: campaignFinance
Blue Voter Guide
https://bluevoterguide.org/district/NY/New_York_State_Senate_District_40/51829/830Fetched: endorsements
NYSUT
https://www.nysut.org/resources/special-resources-sites/voter-guide/endorsementsFetched: endorsements
Blue Voter Guide - New York League of Conservation Voters Endorsements
https://bluevoterguide.org/endorser-org/New_York_League_of_Conservation_Voters/NY/2861Fetched: endorsements
New York League of Conservation Voters
https://www.nylcv.org/wp-content/uploads/NYS-Scorecard-2025.pdfFetched: ratings
Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts
https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/uploads/filer_public/f2/02/f202ff2c-c444-49b0-b57d-795cc2cf2b3c/2024_ratings_senate_oct.pdfFetched: ratings
New York State Conservative Party
https://www.cpnys.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2025-Senate-Ratings-Final-Final.pdfFetched: ratings
New York State Senate - Pete Harckham profile
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/pete-harckham/aboutFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S3607
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S3607Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S4950
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4950Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S4955
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4955Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S5969
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S5969Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Retiree health protections press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024/pete-harckham/harckham-and-over-200-state-municipal-retirees-callFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Pete Harckham District Page
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/pete-harckham/districtFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Worker Misclassification Press Release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/pete-harckham/harckham-bill-protect-workers-passes-senateFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - ASAP Act Press Release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/pete-harckham/harckham-environmental-and-labor-advocates-call-asap-actFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - FY2025-2026 Budget Press Release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/pete-harckham/harckham-and-legislators-pass-fy2025-2026-state-budget?page=9Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Brownfield Prevailing Wage Press Release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/pete-harckham/harckham-legislators-and-labor-leaders-urge-signing?page=0Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - FY2026-2027 Budget Press Release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/pete-harckham/harckham-achieves-important-wins-enacted-fy2026-2027Fetched: issuePositions
LegiScan - New York Senator Peter Harckham Bills
https://legiscan.com/NY/people/peter-harckham/id/20263?page=3&record=all&type=billFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Peter Harckham District 40
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/pete-harckham/districtFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Civil arrest polling places press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/pete-harckham/harckham-dinowitz-introduce-bill-protect-residents-civil?page=3Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Bill S2235
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S2235/amendment/originalFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Bill S2237A
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S2237/amendment/AFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Bill S3762
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S3762Fetched: issuePositions
New York Immigration Coalition Action
https://nyicaction.org/2024-endorsementsFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Pete Harckham About
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/pete-harckham/aboutFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Earth Day Environmental Bills Press Release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/pete-harckham/harckham-has-four-environmental-bills-passed-senatesFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S6570A
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S6570/amendment/AFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S1668
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1668Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S4046
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4046Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S3590
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S3590Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - About Pete Harckham
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/pete-harckham/aboutFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Bill S1983
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1983Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Bill S7670
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S7670Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Bill S4782
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S4782Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Pete Harckham District
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/pete-harckham/districtFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Public Safety Issue Page
https://www.nysenate.gov/issues/public-safetyFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Pete Harckham Legislation
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/pete-harckham/legislationFetched: issuePositions