VoterLens
New York State Senate District 48
Princeton University—B.A.; Oxford University—M.A.; Stanford University—Ph.D.; SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry—M.S.
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Rachel May is an educator and activist who had a career in higher education before entering public office. She taught Russian language and literature at Stony Brook University and Macalester College, then moved to Syracuse in 2001 and became director of sustainability education at Syracuse University. She has represented New York State Senate District 48 and is serving her fourth term.
Committee Assignments: Consumer Protection · Legislative Commission on Rural Resources · Cities 2 · Energy and Telecommunications · Environmental Conservation · Health · Higher Education · Housing, Construction and Community Development · Investigations and Government Operations · Legislative Women's Caucus · State-Native American Relations
Rachel May supports expanding access to affordable healthcare, especially through rural care, telehealth, and programs that lower barriers to services in New York’s 48th Senate District. Her legislative record includes sponsoring or co-sponsoring bills on oral healthcare access, rural health zones, school-based and telehealth mental-health clinics, health-data privacy, and provider practice rules.
Rachel May emphasizes lowering household costs while pairing economic development with workforce growth and limits on public subsidies that do not produce local jobs. Her Economy & Jobs record includes support for care-sector workforce investment, higher home-care wages, caregiver tax relief, and tighter job-creation standards for data-center subsidies.
Specific Actions & Proposals
May's official Senate biography states she sponsored legislation to create a home care jobs innovation fund to support workforce growth in the home-care sector.
SourceRachel May supports immigrant-protection policies that limit state and local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, protect due process, and maintain access to public services regardless of immigration status. Her record includes co-sponsoring New York for All, school-based protections for immigrant students, ICE-enforcement transparency, and restrictions on state benefits for airlines participating in removals without due process.
Rachel May supports aggressive climate action and a transition to clean, renewable energy, including implementation of New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Her recent climate and energy record emphasizes renewable energy rights, grid-enhancing technologies to lower utility costs, and shifting costs toward fossil-fuel polluters while protecting households and disadvantaged communities.
Specific Actions & Proposals
May supported Senate passage of New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, describing it as putting New York on a path to national climate leadership.
SourceRachel May emphasizes strengthening public education through full school funding and investments in public schools, while opposing expansion of charter-school caps. As a sitting New York State Senator for District 48, she has also sponsored education-related legislation on school library policies, student access to attorneys in schools, and public/medical education on tickborne illnesses.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Stated that changes to expand charter schools or adjust regional allotments would not serve public schools and that New York should continue supporting public schools instead.
SourceSupported the FY 2024 budget, highlighting full Foundation Aid funding for public schools and record funding for Syracuse and Auburn school districts.
SourceRachel May’s public-safety record emphasizes school safety, gun-violence prevention, firearm regulation, and protections for children and domestic-violence survivors. As the Democratic/WF senator for New York Senate District 48, she has sponsored a Syracuse school-safety bill and voted yes on statewide public-safety measures including firearm waiting periods, Operation SNUG gun-violence grants, and Kyra’s Law.
NYSenate.gov
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/rachel-may/aboutFetched: biography, committees, location, education
Election.org / Open States sourced officeholder record
https://election.org/state/new-york/legislature/upper/district-48Fetched: votingRecord
NYSenate.gov Rachel May official profile
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/rachel-may/aboutFetched: votingRecord
Transparency USA New York State Senate District 48 2026 Election Season
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/race/new-york-state-senate-district-48-74488Fetched: campaignFinance
Transparency USA Rachel May New York Candidate 2026
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/rachel-mayFetched: campaignFinance
Transparency USA Rachel May 2024 contributions page
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/rachel-may/contributions?cycle=2024-election-cycleFetched: campaignFinance
Blue Voter Guide
https://bluevoterguide.org/district/NY/New_York_State_Senate_District_48/51837/830Fetched: endorsements
New York League of Conservation Voters
https://www.nylcv.org/press-item/nylcv-gives-green-announces-2026-endorsements-for-state-legislative-races/Fetched: endorsements
NYLCV 2025 State Scorecard
https://www.nylcv.org/wp-content/uploads/NYS-Scorecard-2025.pdfFetched: endorsements
NYLCV 2024 State Scorecard
https://nylcv.org/wp-content/uploads/nys-scorecard-2024.pdfFetched: endorsements
Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts 2024 Senate Scorecard
https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/uploads/filer_public/f2/02/f202ff2c-c444-49b0-b57d-795cc2cf2b3c/2024_ratings_senate_oct.pdfFetched: endorsements
The Freedom Index
https://thefreedomindex.org/ny/legislator/20169/votes/report-ny-scorecard-2024/pdf/sca/Fetched: endorsements
NYSenate.gov - Senator Rachel May profile
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/rachel-mayFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - About Rachel May
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/rachel-may/aboutFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - 2026 priorities article
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/articles/2026/rachel-may/few-senator-mays-priorities-2026-legislative-session-beginsFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senator Rachel May official profile
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/rachel-may/aboutFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Stop Subsidizing Data Centers Act
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S9182/amendment/BFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Fair Pay for Home Care Act
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8955Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Family Caregiver Tax Credit
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4383Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Office of the Caregiving Economy
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S1062Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Rachel May official profile
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/rachel-may/aboutFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S2235B
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S2235Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S8597
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8597Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S8858
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8858Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S7960
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7960Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov Rachel May profile
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/rachel-may/aboutFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov advanced transmission technologies press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/rachel-may/senator-rachel-may-advances-legislation-cut-energy-costs-0Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov S2708A bill page
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S2708/amendment/AFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov S2627 bill page
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S2627Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov S3346 bill page
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S3346Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov 2024 Session Wrap-Up
https://www.nysenate.gov/sites/default/files/open-data/legislative-wrap-up-2024.pdfFetched: issuePositions
NY State Senate - Rachel May About
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/rachel-may/aboutFetched: issuePositions
NY State Senate Bill 2025-S10429
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S10429Fetched: issuePositions
NY State Senate Bill 2025-S10451
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S10451Fetched: issuePositions
NY State Senate Bill 2025-S10720
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S10720Fetched: issuePositions
NY State Senate - Charter Cap Statement
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/articles/2023/rachel-may/senator-mays-statement-proposed-changes-charter-cap-state-budgetFetched: issuePositions
NY State Senate - FY 2024 Budget Statement
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/articles/2023/rachel-may/senator-rachel-mays-statement-fy24-budget?page=1Fetched: issuePositions