ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Former Gates Police Chief James VanBrederode announced his run for New York’s 56th senate district as a Republican Wednesday.
The seat has been held by Senator Jeremy Cooney, a Democrat, since 2021. The two faced off for this exact seat during the 2022 election.
VanBrederode says his experience as police chief taught him a few things that would be beneficial if he were to take office.
“My whole career has been building a team, building one community. Everyone’s equal,” VanBrederode said. “That was my job, was to build bridges, bring the community together, because at the end of the day we all want the same thing. We want safe streets, we want to be able to make a living, and we don’t want addiction coming into any of our families.”
Jeremy Cooney’s campaign released a statement Wednesday, saying:
“In his three years as our state senator, Jeremy Cooney has delivered historic wins for his hometown of Rochester. He has secured record funding for public schools, empowered law enforcement to keep our communities safe, and passed robust protections for women’s reproductive rights. He looks forward to comparing his record for Monroe County to any extremist Republican and will continue to deliver for our community.”
Jamie Zieno, Cooney for New York