Stating that 2022 is not a time “for politics as usual,” Dutchess County Democratic Chair Julie Shiroishi has announced that she is running for the newly created 39th Senate District, which includes a portion of Orange County.

A resident of Beacon, where she lives with her husband and two children, Shiroishi is Chief of Staff for Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson (D-Newburgh) and has previously worked in newspaper and book publishing. The new 39th District includes the City and Town of Newburgh and Town of Montgomery in Orange County as well as portions of Dutchess and Putnam Counties.

The Orange County portion of the district is currently served by State Senator James Skoufis (D-Cornwall) but redistricting has moved the two-term incumbent into the 41st district that includes the remainder of Orange County.

“When I first started volunteering to help local candidates, I never expected to become one myself,” said Shiroishi. “But 2022 is not a time for politics as usual. Every day, our communities live in fear of gun violence, both mass shootings like those in Buffalo and Uvalde and the rising number of shootings across the Hudson Valley—particularly in Poughkeepsie and Newburgh.”

“Like every parent, I fear for all our children. The Supreme Court is threatening the reproductive rights of women, and empty words are not enough. We need action now,” she continued.

“We need to focus on building a sustainable economy in the Hudson Valley. That means investing in education, workforce development, and job training so all our young people can see their path to a good-paying job and a meaningful future.”

A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Shiroishi moved to Beacon in 2007 with her husband, Adam McKible, to raise their family and live near his parents (now deceased) in Newburgh.

“I have worked in the Legislature and know how state government operates, but I have also worked in the private sector. I know how to get things done and I will make Albany work for all of us here in the 39th Senate District,” Shiroishi concluded.

With the deadline to file petitions approaching on June 10, Shiroishi and Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison, a Republican, are the only candidates for the seat. On Tuesday, Orange County Legislator Kevindaryán Lujan (D-Newburgh) announced that he would suspend his campaign for the seat and support Shiroshi.