Michael Bobseine
Fredonia attorney and former County Legislator Michael Bobseine has announced his candidacy for the 150th Assembly seat in the State Legislature.
Bobseine, a Democrat, kicked off his campaign on Saturday with announcements in the North County and here in Jamestown.
He cited his experience as a private attorney, school board president and member; county legislator, Family Court Magistrate, and most recently, City of Dunkirk Attorney, as qualifying him to run for the seat.
Bobseine laid out the core of his campaign at the events, “And that’s this ideal that every person in the 150th district has an equal right to obtain a good public education, affordable and accessible healthcare; have a business dream that they might have or living wage employment; equal housing, and a life in a safe, inclusive community.”
Bobseine said he’s also campaigning in support of the state’s Equal Rights Amendment that will be on the ballot.
The State Legislature passed the Equal Rights Amendment in January 2023, which then sent it on to be ratified on the November 2024 General Election ballot.
The amendment would prohibit discrimination by the government based on a person’s ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex — including their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes. It would also protect against any government actions that would curtail a person’s reproductive autonomy or their access to reproductive health care. The ERA would, for the first time, explicitly include language to clarify that discrimination based on a person’s pregnancy or pregnancy outcome is sex discrimination.
Bobseine said his campaign also is participating in the state’s new Public Campaign Finance Program. Under the program, donations can only come from people in the 150th District in order to be matched with state dollars.
Bobseine said they’re only accepting contributions between $5 to $250, “We’ve gotten extensive support with a number of contributors that we have. And we’re not taking any Political Action Committee money, no special interest money, no corporate money, it has to be a real person.”
Bobseine lives in Fredonia with his wife of over 40 years, Chautauqua County Legislator Susan Parker.
The 150th Assembly District is currently represented by Republican Andy Goodell.
Leave a Reply