Senator Michelle Hinchey was elected to the New York State Senate in 2020 and has quickly become a leading voice for the Hudson Valley and Catskills. To date, 108 of her bills have been signed into law, delivering significant support on issues important to the 41st Senate District, which includes Columbia and Greene counties, Northern Dutchess, and parts of Ulster County.
As Chair of the Senate Agriculture and Food Committee, New York has passed four of its strongest Agriculture Budgets, investing in food access, farmland preservation, research, and resilience while building strong upstate-downstate partnerships to bolster the upstate ag economy and expand access to local, healthy food statewide. Hinchey laid the groundwork for the creation of New York’s first food purchasing targets for state agencies and sponsored the landmark Soil Health and Climate Resiliency Act, updating the state’s soil health laws for the first time since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s to help farmers adopt regenerative practices.
Hinchey has delivered historic support for communities across the state, most notably as the lead sponsor of the Universal School Meals Act, guaranteeing free breakfast and lunch for every New York student, starting in 2026. The senator continues to lead on initiatives to get more locally grown food into communities, including through her work to expand the Farm-to-School program.
Hinchey’s work centers on reversing decades of underinvestment in rural and upstate communities, including expanding access to healthcare and mental health services, creating affordable housing, upgrading aging infrastructure, and protecting the Hudson River from corporate polluters. Hinchey has also championed major support for emergency services, creating the state’s first capital fund for volunteer fire departments, and sponsoring a new law ensuring EMS providers are reimbursed for the lifesaving care they provide.
Hinchey earned the title of 2022 Advocate of the Year from the Rural Housing Coalition for her work to bring unparalleled investment, attention, and policy solutions to address the housing crisis in rural and upstate New York. Hinchey is also the recipient of the esteemed Nelson A. Rockefeller Award from the New York Water Environment Association for her work to advance clean water initiatives and investments, and was selected as the 2023 Legislator of the Year by the American Red Cross for her commitment to supporting emergency services in New York State.
Senator Hinchey was born and raised in Saugerties before graduating in 2009 from the Industrial and Labor Relations School at Cornell University, where she studied the history of the American labor movement and the importance of collective action in establishing an equitable labor market and economy.
Before her election to the State Senate, Hinchey spent a decade working her way up as an executive in the technology and media fields. Earlier in her career, Hinchey worked as a grassroots organizer for Environment New York, where she successfully campaigned to end the dangerous practice of fracking in New York. While working in the private sector, Hinchey continued her environmental advocacy as a member of the Board of Directors of the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development.
Senator Hinchey credits her love of public service and community-based activism to her father, the late Hudson Valley Congressman Maurice Hinchey, widely regarded as a champion for working people and the environment, who instilled in Hinchey that there’s no higher calling than public service, giving back to your community, and standing up to fight for what’s right.