“I’ve seen a lot of legislative sessions begin in Albany, and the challenges facing the North Country and Mohawk Valley today are as serious as any we’ve faced. People back home aren’t asking for slogans or speeches; they want relief from crushing costs, policies that make sense for rural communities and leaders who are willing to say ‘no’ when Albany gets it wrong.

As I enter my final year in the Assembly, I will use every day of this session to call out policies that raise energy prices, punish farmers and small businesses and treat upstate New York as an afterthought. My responsibility is to the people I represent, and I intend to finish my service by fighting just as hard for them as I always have,” said Blankenbush.