In a room overlooking a sunny winter day in downtown Binghamton, longtime Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo announced she would not be seeking reelection in 2026.
Lupardo, who is currently serving her 11th term in office, was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2004. Her district, the 123rd Assembly District, includes the City of Binghamton and surrounding areas, including the towns of Union and Vestal.
Lupardo has been a familiar face throughout the Southern Tier for decades, both in attending news conferences, ribbon cuttings and events as well as playing an important role in helping to secure critical legislation and funding for the region.
Lupardo announces she will not run for reelection
Lupardo officially announced she would not be seeking reelection at a Jan. 8 press conference held in the Binghamton State Office Building. Lupardo, who moved to Broome County at 22 to attend Binghamton University, said she was proud of the work she accomplished while in office.
“I focused on working hard, and just getting things done,” said Lupardo. “It’s been such an honor to me. It has been an incredible honor to represent the people of this district.”
According to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Lupardo has been a tireless fighter for the Southern Tier throughout her time as Assemblywoman.
“In her more than two decades here in the People’s House, Donna has been a dedicated voice for her constituents and a compassionate leader, passing legislation to protect students from lead in schools, improving safety for highway construction workers, and leading both the Aging Committee and the Children and Families Committee,” said Heastie. “Since 2019 she has chaired the Agriculture Committee, where she helped to support small farms and strengthen the food supply chain and grow New York’s craft beverage industry.”
In an email statement, Broome Republican Chairman Benji Federman praised Lupardo’s service, saying, “Donna Lupardo has been a respected presence in our community for years and we wish her well after two decades of service to Southern Tier residents,” but also turned his attention to the 2026 election.
“Now we turn the page as voters are starving for change in a broken Albany led by downstate Democrats. Local Republicans are gearing up to unify and reclaim this Assembly seat.”
Despite leaving the Assembly in 2027, Lupardo said she would continue to fight for the issues she prioritized while in office, including economic development, agriculture, healthcare and supporting emergency medical services. Lupardo said she would continue to work alongside nonprofits and that she hopes to teach in some capacity at Binghamton University.
“I so appreciate this beautiful valley, these two rivers and the hardworking, beautiful people who live here,” said Lupardo. “It’s really a great place to live and work, and I look forward to continuing what I’m doing in a different capacity to make this place an even better place to be.”
Lupardo prioritized economy, development
According to Lupardo, one of her proudest feats as an assemblywoman was uplifting the Southern Tier as a whole, solidifying it as a hub of activity in New York. When Lupardo was first elected, the Binghamton area was still reeling from large companies leaving the area, including IBM, which drastically changed the local economy and motivated her to run for office.
“I was angry because our community had lost its manufacturing base and people didn’t seem to know what to do about that,” said Lupardo. “They were spending a lot of time waiting for someone to come to the rescue, another IBM or another Endicott-Johnson. What I knew in my heart we had to do was to rebuild that same entrepreneurial spirit that brought those businesses here. We had to grow anew, we had to grow back our economy. Through the incubator and the university and many things that we developed, the potential is there.”
With Lupardo’s support, Broome County has seen massive investment from the state, including becoming a federally designated Battery Manufacturing Tech Hub. In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lupardo started the Holiday Giving Box program, an initiative aimed at ensuring families throughout the Binghamton area could enjoy a holiday meal without needing to spend any of their hard-earned money.
In its first year, the program served 85 families — 35 more than the initial goal. In 2025, the program raised enough money to serve more than 425 families.
Lupardo’s impact on the Southern Tier is difficult to quantify. Throughout her time as assemblywoman, she has raised countless millions for local initiatives, supported local economic growth and given back to her community year after year.
Even as she announced she wouldn’t be seeking reelection, Lupardo’s drive to improve life for the people of the Binghamton area remained clear. Lupardo will conclude her final term at the end of 2026, with a new representative taking her place in January 2027.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Donna Lupardo won’t seek 12th term in NY Assembly’s 123rd District
Reporting by Riccardo Monico, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
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