Dutchess County legislator launches bid for 39th Senate District, challenging Rolison

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Jesse King

Published January 31, 2024 at 1:49 PM EST

Dutchess County Minority Leader Yvette Valdés Smith announced her run for New York State Senate with a launch party in Beacon on Saturday.

Dutchess County Legislator Yvette Valdés Smith formally announced her bid for the state senate seat in New York’s 39th District over the weekend. The Democrat and former teacher has been fundraising and building a roster of endorsements as she aims to challenge State Senator Rob Rolison, a Republican who won his first term in 2022 after serving multiple terms as a county legislator and mayor of Poughkeepsie. Valdés Smith tells WAMC Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Jesse King her top priority heading into election season is economic growth and affordability in the region.

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Jesse King

Jesse King is the host of WAMC's national program on women's issues, "51%," and the station's bureau chief in the Hudson Valley. She has also produced episodes of the WAMC podcast "A New York Minute In History."

See stories by Jesse King