September 24, 2020
From Senator O’Mara:
Elmira, N.Y., The state Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), one of New York’s largest and most respected grassroots labor organizations, has endorsed the re-election of State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C,I-Big Flats) in New York’s 58th Senate District in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions.
The CSEA represents over 300,000 active and retired public- and private-sector employees statewide. The association covers employees of New York State and its counties, towns, villages, school districts, library systems, and other public institutions. It also includes a growing number of private-sector workers and approximately 50,000 retirees.
Nearly 5,000 active and retired CSEA members reside within the 58th Senate District represented by O’Mara. The district encompasses all of Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben and Yates counties, and a portion of Tompkins County (the city and town of Ithaca, and the towns of Enfield, Newfield and Ulysses).
In a letter announcing the endorsement, CSEA President Mary Sullivan wrote, “From employees of the State to local governments to the private sector, CSEA members provide the services that New Yorkers need and depend on every day. This is especially true during this unprecedented COVID-19 crisis as CSEA members have been on the front lines continuing vital services during the pandemic. As New York and its localities grapple with the economic fallout of COVID-19, we need elected officials who will fight to maintain these services while keeping our workforce safe. CSEA is proud to endorse your candidacy for New York State Senate. We are confident that you will stand with working people to make New York a better state. Working together we will get through this crisis.”
O’Mara said, “CSEA members throughout our communities have been on the front lines throughout the COVID-19 crisis and response, day in and day out providing vital services to those in need. It has been a remarkable effort. I am truly grateful this year, which has taken such a toll in so many ways, to have earned CSEA’s confidence and recognition of my commitment to our workers and their future safety and economic security. Most importantly, I look forward to continue working together on the road back to a better New York to help our communities find solid ground again.”
O’Mara was first elected to represent the 58th District in 2010. In 2013, O’Mara spearheaded the fight against a Cuomo administration plan to eliminate inpatient services at and diminish the overall role of the Elmira Psychiatric Center (EPC) as part of a statewide Office of Mental Health (OMH) restructuring plan. The senator organized a coalition of local government, business and community leaders who worked together with EPC administrators and staff to protest the move as devastating to the quality of regional mental health, local workers and families, and the local economy overall. These efforts included support rallies, public hearings and local petition drives — all of which ultimately led to a reversal of the Cuomo plan, protected local jobs, and ensured that the EPC has remained as a cornerstone of regional mental health care for patients and families, including inpatient care.
During his tenure in the Senate, O’Mara has become recognized as a leading voice in support of state policies to spark a revitalization of the Upstate New York economy through tax cuts, regulatory reform, mandate relief and a revitalization of the manufacturing sector. He currently serves as the Ranking Member of both the Senate Investigations and Government Operations Committee, and the Senate Judiciary Committee, in addition to serving as a member of several other Senate committees including Environmental Conservation and Transportation.
