Fighting for a Conservative Future
for All New Yorkers
Mark Benjamin is a Conservative Republican, prior business owner, and longtime community volunteer running for the 131st Assembly District seeking to represent the voters of Ontario, Seneca, Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Broome, and Chenango counties in the New York State Assembly. He has called Seneca County home for over two decades, where he has built his life around hard work, family, and giving back.
His career reflects a firm commitment to upstate New York. Mark got his first job as a dishwasher, learning early on what it takes to earn your way forward. Before attending college, he co-founded The Coffee Stop in Chenango Forks, and later, after graduating, co-founded Crummy Brothers Cookies. Through it all, he’s created jobs, seeing firsthand the challenges small businesses and working families face in New York.
A strong believer in giving back, Mark has been actively involved in his community for years. He is a member of the Seneca Falls Rotary and the Seneca Falls-Waterloo Kiwanis, a past Chair of the Seneca County Chamber of Commerce, and has served as a Trustee on the Board of Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes. He most recently served as Treasurer of the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network and Chair of the Seneca County Chamber Community Foundation. His commitment to service has earned him the Rotary Foundation Paul Harris Fellowship.
Giving back also means investing in the next generation. Mark has spent years coaching youth soccer, track and field, and basketball, helping young people grow not just as athletes but also as individuals.
He grew up in Broome County, where his mother was a longtime teacher, and his father worked in electrical construction. From them, he learned the value of discipline, responsibility, and service.
Mark and his wife, Claire, are celebrating 25 years of marriage this year. Claire moved to the United States from the Philippines in 1996 to pursue the American Dream and now owns her own business, Rue Claire Chocolates and Lavender Farm. Together, they’ve built a life rooted in opportunity, perseverance, and community. Their son, Henrey, is a junior at Waterloo High School, where he’s a member of the National Honor Society and student-athlete.
Mark is running to bring a common-sense perspective to Albany. He is focused on reducing costs for families, supporting small businesses, and giving our rural communities a voice.
Addressing New York’s Cost of Living and Economic Challenges:
Mark knows that too many hardworking families and seniors are being crushed by New York’s cost-of-living crisis and some of the highest taxes in the nation. On day one, he will introduce legislation to cut taxes and fees and provide immediate relief to taxpayers. When families are struggling to get by, government should not be taking more of their money. Yet this year, Governor Hochul and Assembly Democrats increased spending and grew the size of state government. In the Assembly, Mark will work to create a stronger business climate that expands economic opportunities for young people and helps reverse New York’s record-setting population loss.
Keeping Our Communities Safe:
New Yorkers deserve to feel safe in their communities, but Albany’s pro-criminal policies have made that harder. Bail reform, weakened sentencing, and political attacks on law enforcement have put criminals back on the streets while victims are left behind. The state legislature needs to pass legislation that will bring back judicial discretion, strengthen penalties for violent offenders, and give our police, correction officers, and first responders the support and respect they deserve. Mark will always stand with the men and women who keep us safe.
Reforming NY’s Energy Policy:
Since state government has been under one-party rule, our state’s energy agenda is focused on one thing: advancing the green new scam and, as a result, driving up YOUR utility costs. Mark will work to fully repeal the electric school bus mandate, restore local authority over large-scale solar and wind projects, protect access to natural gas when building a new home, and put an end to state policies that dictate how New Yorkers heat and power their homes. Homeowners deserve options, not mandates.
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