VILLAGE OF NYACK – Democrat Elijah Reichlin-Melnick, a Nyack Village Trustee and the Legislative Director for State Senator James Skoufis, announced today that he is launching a campaign for New York State Senate in the 38th District, currently held by Senator David Carlucci. Carlucci announced that he would seek the congressional seat of Nita Lowey who is retiring. The district includes the towns of Clarkstown, Orangetown, Ramapo, and Ossining.
“I’m running for State Senate because we need state government to work for regular people, not just the wealthy and the well-connected,” said Reichlin-Melnick. “In 2019 the new progressive majority in Albany started delivering for everyday New Yorkers. I’ll continue pushing for bold change while making sure state government protects our quality of life by ensuring safe neighborhoods, clean water, good roads, and mass transit, and a well-funded public education for our kids.”
Reichlin-Melnick, 35, has lived in Rockland County nearly his entire life and steadily built his experience in public service with work as a constituent service specialist and district representative for Congressman Eliot Engel and Congresswoman Nita Lowey and the Executive Assistant for former Orangetown Town Supervisor Andy Stewart. Since 2017, he has served Nyack as an elected member of the Village Board of Trustees, where he has prioritized keeping the Village budget under the State property tax cap, promoting affordable housing, and standing up against over-development. He began his career as an elementary school teacher at an inner-city school in New Haven, CT. More recently, he served as a Senior Research Planner at Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, a non-profit focused on regional planning and local government issues throughout the Hudson Valley.
“Our region faces many challenges,” said Reichlin-Melnick. “Sky-high property taxes, rising rents, and burdensome healthcare costs. We’re struggling to retain businesses. School districts like East Ramapo and Ossining aren’t getting the education funding they deserve. Commuters in Rockland lack access to convenient mass transit. State government can—and must—do more to help residents of Rockland and Westchester. As our next State Senator, I will always fight for our communities, because I believe government exists to serve the people, not the powerful.”
