Four-term incumbent Angelo Santabarbara is facing a challenge from political newcomer Paul DeLorenzo for the 111th Assembly District this Nov. 3.
The district includes both rural communities such as Duanesburg and Canajoharie and urban cities like Schenectady. The rural populations lean red, while urban centers like Schenectady have a more politically mixed population.
According to Statistical Atlas, which uses 2010 Census data, the district consists of a larger middle-aged and middle-class demographic, with a median age of 40 and a median household income of $48,804. The district has a fairly split population of men and women, and approximately 75 percent of the district’s population is white. Approximately 89 percent of the district’s residents hold a high school diploma or higher.
There are 73,085 active registered voters in the district with 27,153 Democrats, 20,036 Republicans and 17,929 independent voters. District 111 has notable voter participation with only 7,656 total inactive voters.
As the incumbent, Santabarbara has represented District 111 since January of 2013. Prior to this, Santabarbara served in the U.S. Army Reserve for eight years, was a Schenectady County legislator, and also worked as a civil engineer. Santabarbara is the founder of the Santabarbara Cheese Company and is a lifelong resident of Schenectady County, where he resides with his wife and two children.
DeLorenzo is the Republican challenger for the Assembly seat in the 111th District. A graduate of Siena College and Pace University, DeLorenzo has spent the last 20 years working at his law firm, DeLorenzo, Grasso, & Dalmata, as an injury attorney. DeLorenzo is a lifelong resident of Rotterdam.
Santabarbara chairs the Assembly Commission on Rural Resources, and sits on the Assembly Agriculture, Energy, Government Employees, Racing and Wagering, and Veteran Affairs Committees.
One of Santabarbara’s priority policy issues is mental health, specifically autism awareness, as Santabarbara’s own son was diagnosed with the autism at age 3, and the assemblyman chairs the Subcommittee on Autism Spectrum Disorders.
DeLorenzo, a newcomer to politics, has several issues he says would be a priority for him if elected, including: repealing the state’s bail reform laws; maintaining funding for local police departments, securing more funding for after-school programs and educational opportunities; protecting the Great Sacandaga Lake; and reducing taxes and the cost of living he says are “crippling our middle-class families.”
Santabarbara has been endorsed publicly by multiple organizations. These organizations include The Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers, The New York State Law Enforcement Officer Union, The Public Federation,The National Federation of Independent Business, Schenectady County Sheriffs’ Benevolent Association, Civil Service Employees Association, The New York Professional Fire Fighters Association and The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. During the pandemic, Santabarbara has gained the endorsement of the New York State United Teachers union, as well as partnering with Quick Response to support the district in coronavirus relief efforts.
