Byrne and his wife, Briana
CARMEL – “It takes a team to cross the finish line,” were the words of State Assemblyman Kevin Byrne on Saturday when announcing his re-election bid in the 94th District seat.
Byrne was greeted by cheers and applause by some 100 supporters who packed the Knights of Columbus Hall in Carmel for the announcement.
Among those in attendance were State Senators Terrence Murphy and Sue Serino, Putnam County Clerk Michael Bartolotti and Byrne’s previous boss, former Congresswoman Nan Hayworth.
Byrne described the past two years in Albany as a “remarkable privilege and great responsibility.”
“I have been able to introduce and pass more legislation than any other freshman member of the Assembly Republican Conference. More impressively, I passed more bills than most Democratic freshmen as well.”
Byrne noted that “every one of my bills honored home rule and addressed the needs of our district be it for infrastructure funding, clean water in the Hudson Valley, expanding cancer coverage for our volunteer firefighters and legalizing ride sharing services throughout New York.”
Byrne praised members of the region’s emergency services field making special mention to the Putnam Chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police – an organization that he helped to organize – the FOP Driscoll Chapter Pipe Band.
He thanked New York’s volunteer firefighters and emergency responders for saving the Empire State $13 million annually.
Byrne talked about the heroin epidemic that has the region in its grasp promising to address the “root cause. This nightmare must be addressed as a community – not just by politicians seeking a 30 second sound bite. Addiction must be de-stigmatized.”
Byrne’s colleagues in the State Senate commended his first term as well.
Senator Murphy called it an “absolute privilege to serve with Kevin Byrne. He and I have covered a lot of ground and we are both here to do the right thing for our constituents.”
Senator Serino said it was “so nice having a colleague in Albany fighting against the craziness found in state government.”
The 94th Assembly District encompasses the towns of Carmel, Southeast, Patterson and Putnam Valley in addition to Somers and Yorktown.
