Senator George Borrello (R,C), an unwavering advocate for rural New Yorkers and champion of agriculture, small business and middle-class tax relief, was re-elected to the New York State Senate in November 2022, retaining the seat he has held since winning a special election in 2019.
Encompassing approximately 4,500 square miles, the 57th Senate District is one of the state’s largest and includes Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Genesee and Wyoming counties as well as the western half of Allegany County.
A successful businessman and entrepreneur for most of his adult life, Senator Borrello founded his own company, Top-Shelf Marketing, in his early 20s. After growing the business into a nationally recognized supplier to the hospitality industry, he merged it with another company where he spent 20 years in executive management.
His experiences as a small business owner have given him a firsthand perspective on the tax and regulatory hurdles faced by employers in New York State. He has used that knowledge to advocate for the small business community and also authored legislation aimed at reducing their costs and incentivizing expansion.
Senator Borrello has emerged as one of the leading voices against government overreach, particularly the excessive executive mandates that became commonplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, he was a co-plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a draconian isolation and quarantine policy that was adopted administratively by the Department of Health. The judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, finding that the action was unconstitutional and violated due process rights.
As the Ranking Member on the Senate’s Agriculture Committee, Senator Borrello has championed legislation to ease tax and regulatory burdens on New York’s farmers and led opposition to further reductions in the 60-hour overtime threshold for farm workers. He also championed the bipartisan effort to transform the farm-to-food bank initiative, Nourish NY, into a permanent program. The legislation was signed into law on November 20, 2021.
Other key priorities of Senator Borrello include: reducing New York’s high tax burden to help stem the outflow of New York jobs and residents; expanding broadband access in rural areas; reducing the cost of government; and ensuring New Yorkers’ continued access to the safe, reliable and affordable sources of energy that power our homes and businesses. He has been an outspoken critic of the state’s reckless rush to mandate renewable sources of energy.
Senator Borrello first entered public service because he saw the region he loved struggling with many challenges. He served eight years as a Chautauqua County legislator, followed by two years as County Executive. His 10-year county government tenure includes many achievements including stronger partnerships between the public and private sector, balanced county budgets that reduced taxes and maintained services, major infrastructure investments, cost-saving shared services agreements and an unprecedented agreement among Chautauqua Lake stakeholders that led to vast improvements in the lake’s usability.
Senator Borrello is a graduate of Fredonia High School and received his bachelor’s degree from Purdue University.
He and his wife Kelly are small business owners. They operate businesses in the Town of Hanover including Cabana Sam’s Sunset Bay Grill, The Sunset Bay Beach Club and Villaggio Italiano Pizza & Pasta.
They reside in Sunset Bay and are active in local charity and volunteer organizations.
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