New Senate District Draws Assembly Staffer, Mayor to Face Off

Democrat Julie Shiroishi is running against Republican Poughkeepsie Mayor Robert Rolison in the newly-created 39^th Senate District, which spans Putnam Valley and Philipstown in Putnam County and parts of Dutchess and Orange counties.

Since 2007, Shiroishi has lived in Beacon with her husband, an English professor at John Jay College, and their two high school-aged children. She is the daughter of an immigrant housewife and a Japanese American truck driver, who graduated from the University of California, Berkeley.

A professional in the newspaper and book publishing industry, Shiroishi became chief of staff for Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson (D-Newburgh) in 2019. Shiroishi is running on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines.

Rolison, a lifelong Poughkeepsie resident, majored in criminal justice at Marist College. In 1982, he joined the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department where he served 12 years in the Patrol Division. He was promoted to detective, a post he held for 14 years.

Rolison, who has a wife and son, was elected to the Dutchess County Legislature and represented the City and Town of Poughkeepsie for 12 years. He was elected mayor in 2016 and is serving his second term. He is the son of the late state Sen. Jay P. Rolison Jr.

Rolison said significant migration from New York City to Poughkeepsie during the pandemic impacted the city’s housing costs and availability.

“Although Poughkeepsie has been successful in meeting the needs of the community with affordable housing, we still have a housing challenge,” he said. “But people should have the opportunity to improve their housing if they find themselves in a better financial situation.” 

The influx of new residents also concerns Shiroishi.

“These people earn higher incomes than most Hudson Valley residents,” she said.

“Building and providing more affordable housing means we need to create public-private partnerships and offer developers incentives to build affordable housing.”

Rolison criticized the state’s current $220 billion budget for being the largest in state history and for not using federal funds to pay down the unemployment insurance debt.

“That debt is being passed on to businesses and that’s a concerning burden for many small and regular businesses who will pass those costs on to the consumer,” Rolison said. “Prices will go up, which contributes to inflation and linked to population declines with people leaving the state because of the high cost of living.”

Shiroishi said the 2023 state budget reflects a strong fiscal status. Although federal relief funds are being spent, she said that investment will have a positive impact on New York’s future.

“In Syracuse a megacomplex of computer chip plants is being built, the TV and film industries are growing here in the Hudson Valley and we are moving forward to developing a strong renewable industry,” Shiroishi said. “Investments are being made toward New York’s future, something I feel good about.”

Shiroishi said she supports the state’s $4.2 billion environmental bond that is on the ballot, which addresses wastewater management, drinking water, aging lead pipes and water infrastructure, among other initiatives.

“This bond promotes less reliance on fossil fuels, which contributes to climate change, and will give us incentives to build more green infrastructure such as electric vehicle charging stations,” she said.

Rolison also supports the bond.

“We have to make these investments which are big costs. In the long run it will help the taxpayer,” he said.

Rolision maintained that the state’s bail reform law is responsible for increased crime.

“You see individual criminals getting back out and reoffending. We’ve lost the ability to manage and help that population,” Rolison said. “It’s not just about throwing people in jail, that’s not the design of the criminal justice system.”

Rolison said the system is unable to assess a criminal’s behavioral issues.

“It used to be if someone was in custody in a local county facility, that’s where we could do triage and see how to help people,” he added. “The criminal justice system is not working and we have to be clear about that. Public safety is not a partisan issue.”

Shiroishi supports the law, but said it is confusing since it has changed so many times.

“This law is incredibly complicated,” Shiroishi acknowledged. “It’s not to punish people for having committed a crime but to compel them to come to court. We need to look at the unintended consequences of the law and give judges and district attorneys discretion to decide if a crime rises to the level of being eligible for bail or not.”

Obtaining state funds already appropriated to fix deteriorating local roads, bridges, water and sewer systems is a project Shiroishi worked on in Albany with Jacobson.

“Working with municipalities on how to access that funding is a role of a state legislator,” she said. “The district must be aware of the availability of particular infrastructure grants and make a concerted effort to reach out to needy municipalities. Often there are federal monies just sitting there.”

Rolison said the difficulty for municipalities to obtain funds for infrastructure projects is an issue frequently raised at Conference of Mayors’ meetings.

“We try to figure out how to access monies that are available,” he said. “It gets a bit cumbersome to get funds allocated to local municipalities and cities who just don’t have the wherewithal to put money into grant writing.” 

Rolison said he has established good working relationships with state entities to better understand how to apply for infrastructure funding.

“But this issue needs to be looked at close,” he said. “There has to be an easier way to do it.”

Shiroishi said it is crucial for New York State to be a leader in supporting reproductive rights for women since the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.

“I am 100 percent pro-choice and we need to make sure those coming here for an abortion and their healthcare providers are protected,” Shiroishi said. “The majority of residents in New York believe in a woman’s right to choose and we can’t take that for granted.”

“The Dobbs decision has not had a real impact on New York State,” Rolison countered. “When I decided to seek office for Senate in May 2022, part of the reasoning was to go to Albany and not to stand between women and their healthcare or their doctor. That hasn’t changed because of Dobbs.”

Training and finding good paying jobs for young people is a priority for Shiroishi.

“We need to create pathways for young people to access the work place,” she said.

“That means partnering with local union leaders about education programs and connecting companies and schools to teach necessary skills needed to enter the workforce.”

Shiroishi has connected with and sees a possible partnership with Duchess Community College and local manufacturing to create training programs.

Rolison said Poughkeepsie started Children’s Cabinet two years ago, a successful program that prepares students for a career.

“An independent group of county and state officials has partnered with educational institutions to create an atmosphere where a student can learn,” he said. “We need to understand what the opportunities are as well as the barriers to jobs that are available.”

Because of his years serving local and county government, Rolison said his experience would be an asset to the state legislature.

“I’m very proud of my record as someone who is able to be very bipartisan and who can work across the aisle,” Rolison said. “In order to work better together we need to respect each other despite our different opinions.”

Shiroishi said her work history makes her a strong proponent for economic opportunities in the district.

“There is a manufacturing renaissance and an important hub for education in the Hudson Valley,” Shiroishi said. “My experience in the private sector makes me a good advocate in Albany since I am solutions-oriented and have a clear lens on what needs to get done.”