April's Video Highlights
Join for Campaign Updates.
Meet
April Baskin
April N.M. Baskin is a lifelong Buffalonian running for re-election to the New York State Senate to represent the constituents of the 63rd District, which includes Buffalo, Cheektowaga, and Lackawanna. In 2024, she made history as the first Black woman from the City of Buffalo to be elected to the State Senate. April’s dedication to public service, community advocacy and her experience as both a county lawmaker and state Senator have prepared her to continue delivering results for Western New Yorkers.
April was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, where she proudly graduated from Buffalo Public Schools before attending Buffalo State University and earning a degree at SUNY Empire State University. Despite not envisioning a career in politics, April’s deep love for her community and her commitment to service led her to run for Erie County Legislature in 2017.
Upon being sworn in to the Erie County Legislature in 2018, April was immediately chosen by her peers as the Majority Leader. In 2019, she became the youngest person and the first freshman legislator to serve as Legislature Chair, a position she held throughout her tenure. During her six years in the Legislature, April spearheaded 18 local laws focused on reforms that lift people up and create pathways for success. Among her most significant accomplishments, she led the effort to secure New York State’s first-ever NFL Community Benefits Agreement, resulting in $100 million in community investments for Erie County residents through the new Bills stadium project.
In 2024, April was elected to the New York State Senate, where she has expanded her work on key priorities including Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) reform, lead poisoning prevention, and small business development. April had a productive freshman year, passing 23 bills, 10 of which were signed into law, including Desha’s Law, the HEART Act, and legislation authorizing a hotel occupancy tax for the Town of Cheektowaga. She also secured millions of dollars in state investments for organizations across the district.
In 2026, April was appointed Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business, giving Western New York a powerful voice on policies that support businesses, workers, and local economies. She built on her first-year success by passing 27 bills, eight of which have already been signed into law, while helping lead the fight for major auto insurance reforms to lower costs for New York drivers. She also secured a $500,000 pilot of her FRESH Communities Act to help a grocery store in District 63 expand access to fresh, healthy food.
April remains dedicated to fighting for underserved communities, small business owners, meaningful criminal justice reform, and equity for all New Yorkers in Albany, where she will continue to drive positive change in our region.
Issues
Housing & Infrastructure
We are in the midst of a housing crisis, and we need leaders who empower our communities with the resources and support to make housing more affordable. Throughout her time in elected office, April has worked tirelessly to improve housing and strengthen infrastructure across Western New York and New York State.
As Erie County Legislature Chair, April was instrumental in passing the landmark Fair Housing Law in 2018, expanding critical protections for renters and homebuyers. In 2020, she launched the Vacant & Abandoned Properties (VAP) Community Resource Team to return neglected properties to productive use. Her innovative thinking also led Erie County to pass an Affordable Housing Law that generated more than $20 million to support new home construction and affordable housing projects.
April also secured millions in County funding to support diverse developers and affordable housing projects, including investments along Jefferson Avenue and across Buffalo’s East Side that expanded access to housing, healthcare, and economic opportunity.
April has continued that work in Albany, championing reforms to ensure all New Yorkers have access to safe and affordable housing. She sponsors the White Elephant bill, which incentivizes the redevelopment of long-vacant, historic buildings into affordable housing, as well as legislation to modernize the HIV Emergency Shelter Allowance by eliminating the outdated rent cap in Upstate communities
As a State Senator, April has delivered critical funding to address housing needs across Western New York, including $6.5 million to expand veterans housing and services in Cheektowaga and $750,000 for the Salvation Army of Buffalo’s new emergency family shelter. In 2026, she helped secure $40 million to rehabilitate vacant apartments for low- and moderate-income renters and $30 million to build affordable homes on vacant lots, while supporting reforms to speed up affordable housing construction. These investments will help bring vacant properties back to life, create more affordable homes, and provide greater housing stability for families in need.
Together, these efforts are rebuilding communities, expanding access to stable housing, and creating a more equitable future for all.
Economic Empowerment and Equity
The COVID-19 pandemic and tragic mass shooting at Tops grocery store on Jefferson Avenue on May 14, 2022 have shown us the deadly consequences of long-standing economic inequity. Western New York needs a leader who can drive equitable economic investments, and as a lawmaker, April has made it her mission to empower Black and brown communities, focusing on policies that promote racial equity.
As Erie County Legislature Chair, she led efforts to ensure major development projects delivered real benefit to local residents. April established the New Stadium Community Inclusion Task Force, which secured multimillion-dollar contracts for local MWBE firms on the new Bills stadium project, ensuring that 50% of contractors are from the WNY region.
April also launched the Level Up initiative to connect marginalized small businesses with new markets and contracting opportunities at the new stadium. The program worked with more than 100 businesses and generated $1 million in corporate contracts for Buffalo-based businesses.
Now, as Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business, April has a leading role in shaping policies that strengthen local economies and support small businesses across New York. She is working to advance legislation like the Post-Construction Compliance Act, which will establish ongoing state compliance to ensure companies that receive public funding follow through on commitments to local hiring, fair wages, MWBE participation, and investing into the communities where they operate.
At every level of government, April has been successful in making sure economic growth reaches every neighborhood and creates real opportunity for the people who live there.
Health & Social Services
Like most communities across New York, Western New York continues to face healthcare workforce shortages and gaps in access to critical services. That’s why April has made it a priority to close those gaps and expand access to care.
Addressing lead poisoning has been a key issue for April throughout her time as a lawmaker. In 2019, she expanded crucial Erie County services for toddlers at risk of lead poisoning. As a state Senator, she delivered $3.45 million for lead pipe replacement in Buffalo and pushed for $100 million in the state budget to replace lead pipes across the state. In 2026, April was successful in passing a bill making it easier for New York State children poisoned by lead to receive early intervention services.
In 2021, as Erie County Legislature Chair, April introduced the Health Equity Act to address health disparities in minority communities. Two years later, she passed the Language Access Act, making Erie County government services more accessible to our diverse population.
In the State Senate, she has continued to focus on prevention and equity. One of April’s first state laws signed by the governor requires manufacturers to put warning labels on hair relaxers sold in New York State if they contain carcinogens or reproductive toxicants – giving women, particularly women of color, critical information to make informed choices about the products they use.
April has also delivered millions of dollars to expand access to healthcare in underserved communities. She secured $2 million to expand Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Community Outreach & Engagement Center in Buffalo’s Fruit Belt, providing greater access to cancer education, screenings, and patient support in a community disproportionately impacted by cancer. She also worked with Governor Hochul to secure $2 million to expand Grace Women’s Center, an OB-GYN clinic on Buffalo’s East Side located across the street from the site of the May 14 Tops shooting, expanding access to critical women’s healthcare in a community that has experienced generations of health inequity and disinvestment.
April has also been a strong advocate for expanding access to affordable child care, fighting to bring universal child care to Upstate New York and ensuring working families across Western New York have access to the same opportunities as families in other parts of the state.
Through these efforts, April is working to close health gaps, expand access to care, and ensure every community has the resources needed to live healthier, safer lives.
Criminal Justice & Public Safety
Our criminal justice system is broken, especially here in Western New York. But April, a fearless advocate for reform who is committed to ensuring public safety while demanding accountability, has been a leading voice for change.
As Erie County Legislature Chair, April advanced major reforms to improve transparency and oversight, including securing funding for body cameras for sheriff’s deputies and establishing the Erie County Corrections Specialist Advisory Board, giving residents and those directly affected by the system a powerful voice in jail operations. She also supported medically assisted treatment programs in Erie County jails to address the opioid epidemic and launched an initiative to help formerly incarcerated individuals transition back into the workforce.
April also took a bold stand in holding the Erie County Sheriff’s Office accountable for the tragic jail death of India Cummings, who died in 2016 after experiencing a medical and mental health crisis while detained at the Erie County Holding Center. As a State Senator, April turned that fight for accountability into action by passing India’s Law in the Senate. Named in India’s honor, the legislation establishes strict timelines for transferring incarcerated individuals experiencing a medical or mental health crisis to appropriate care and notifying their loved ones so they can advocate on their behalf.
April also supports commonsense parole reforms that allow people to be considered for parole based on their behavior, growth, and readiness to return to their communities. Through her Breaking Bread Dinner Series, she brings together formerly incarcerated individuals, advocates, service providers, and community leaders to hear directly from those impacted by the criminal justice system and ensure their experiences help inform meaningful reforms.
April is a strong advocate for our first responders, *sponsoring legislation to allow volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers to receive both the state tax credit and locally enacted property tax exemptions. Beyond policy, she has delivered critical investments to strengthen public safety, including more than $500,000 to fire departments in Cheektowaga, Lackawanna, Sloan, and Depew.
April remains committed to building a criminal justice system that keeps our communities safe, demands accountability, and protects the dignity of every person.
Public Art
Investing in public art is a powerful tool for building stronger, more vibrant communities. Public art fosters meaningful community engagement, deepens our sense of identity, and elevates our quality of life. It also plays a crucial role in supporting local artists, giving them the platform they need to thrive.
April's deep connection to the arts, rooted in her background as a teaching artist specializing in the performing arts, has shown her firsthand the transformative impact that art can have on individuals and communities. This passion has driven her legislative work, leading her to champion initiatives like the Percent for Public Art local law and the African American Heritage Preservation Project in 2021. These efforts reflect her unwavering commitment to making art accessible to all and ensuring that our cultural heritage is preserved and celebrated.
April carried that commitment into her work on the new Buffalo Bills stadium, pushing to ensure local artists and public art were incorporated into the project. That effort resulted in a $2 million investment showcasing the work of more than 45 local artists throughout the new stadium, creating opportunities for Western New York artists while ensuring the region’s culture and creativity are represented in one of its most prominent spaces.
Endorsements
VOCAL Action Fund
New York State Nurses Association
LIUNA-NY
Working Family Party (NY-WFP)
Women’s Tap Fund Taking Action in Politics
Western New York (WNY AFL CIO)
Vocal NY
Public Employees Federation (PEF)
1199 SEIU
New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)
New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC)
New York League of Conservation Voters
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Eleanor’s Legacy
Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA)
Communications Workers of America (CWA)
Buffalo Professional Firefighters
Buffalo Building Trades
The Business Council of New York State PAC
AFSCME Local 1095
Timeline
2018 – 2019
April is sworn in as an Erie County Legislator in 2018, and immediately selected by her peers as Majority Leader.
She championed the local movement for NY State cash bail reform, advocated for banning the shackling of non-violent youth in juvenile detention, and led the charge to hold the Erie County Sheriff accountable for the death of India Cummings.
She led the fight and secured funding for body cameras for Erie County Sheriff and also developed and funded expanded services for toddlers at risk of lead poisoning.
April was promoted to Legislature Chair, making her the youngest person in history to serve in that role and the only freshman legislator elected Chair in their first term.
2020 – 2021
April was re-elected Chair of the Legislature, a position she held for the rest of her tenure.
She advocated for COVID-19 protections for NFTA riders and facilitated the establishment of an early testing site on the East Side during the pandemic.
She created a Vacant & Abandoned Homes program to address neglected properties in neighborhoods, secured funding for drug treatment programs to address the opioid epidemic, and provided seed funding for an innovative mental health center in Buffalo’s Fruit Belt.
2022 – 2023
In the wake of the racially motivated mass shooting at the Jefferson Avenue Tops, April’s priorities shifted towards economic empowerment within Black and Brown communities, prompting her to develop policies through a racial equity lens.
April established Erie County Level Up, a program that connected small businesses with corporations to establish sustainable contracts and help take small businesses to the next level.
She delivered a Community Benefits Agreement with the new Buffalo Bills stadium that will invest $100 million over the next 30 years for community organizations and initiatives across Erie County.
2024
Over seven years as an Erie County Legislator, April sponsored 18 local laws, including the Health Equity Act, Fair Housing Act, Corrections Specialist Advisory Law, Affordable Housing Act, Minority and Women Modernization Act, and the Erie County Public Art Act.
In November 2024, April was overwhelmingly elected to represent New York’s 63rd Senate District, making her the first Black woman from Buffalo to serve in the New York State Senate.
2025
April was sworn in to the New York State Senate, where she passed 23 bills, 10 of which were signed into law, during her first year as a Senator.
April was appointed to serve as the Chair of the Senate Procurement and Contracts Committee.
In July 2025, at a ceremony at the Buffalo Bills training camp, Governor Kathy Hochul signed April’s bill Desha’s Law, requiring a cardiac emergency response plan to be implemented in every public school in New York State.
2026
April was appointed to serve as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business, a key post that aims to focus on strengthening local economies and supporting small businesses across New York.
As part of the New York State budget, she helped lead the charge to make auto insurance more affordable by banning discriminatory practices.
April passed 27 bills, 8 of which have been signed into law so far by the governor.