Thomas F. O'Mara (born May 31, 1963) is a member of the
New York State Senate, serving a district in the
Southern Tier of New York since 2010. The district is currently numbered the
58th district. O'Mara is a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
.
Prior to serving in the Senate, O'Mara represented the 137th district of the
New York State Assembly from 2005 to 2010.
Background
O'Mara was raised in
Horseheads, New York
Horseheads is a town in Chemung County, New York, United States. The population was 19,412 at the 2020 census. The name of the town is derived from the number of bleached horses' skulls once found there.
Horseheads is north of the city of Elmira ...
. He received his bachelor's degree from
Catholic University of America and later a
Juris Doctor from
Syracuse University College of Law
Syracuse University College of Law (SUCOL) is a Juris Doctor degree-granting law school of Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. It is one of only four law schools in upstate New York. Syracuse was accredited by the American Bar Association ...
. He worked as an Assistant District Attorney and County Attorney in Chemung County before becoming the Chemung County District Attorney.
He was first elected to the
New York State Assembly in 2004 and represented the 137th Assembly District, which comprised all of Chemung and Schuyler County and portions of
Tioga County. He served three two-year terms in the Assembly.
He is a member of the law firm Davidson & O'Mara in Elmira. He and his wife Marilyn have three children Thomas, Catherine and Caroline and reside in
Big Flats, New York
Big Flats is a town in Chemung County, New York, United States. The population was 7,822 at the 2020 census. The town is on the western border of the county, west of Elmira. It is part of the Elmira Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town con ...
.
New York Senate
In 2010, O'Mara was first elected to represent the 53rd District in the
New York State Senate after surviving a strong primary challenge from fellow Assemblyman
James Bacalles. He defeated Democrat Pamela Mackesey in the general election and took office in January 2011.
In 2011, O'Mara voted against allowing same-sex marriage during the senate roll-call vote on the
Marriage Equality Act, which the Senate narrowly passed 33-29 legalizing same-sex marriage.
Since his initial election in 2010, O'Mara has never faced a serious re-election, running unopposed in 2012 and 2014. His closest election came in 2016, when he defeated Democrat Leslie Danks-Burke 55% to 45%. He easily won re-election again in 2018.
References
External links
Official New York State Senate WebsiteTom O'Mara For New York
Official campaign website.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Omara, Tom
1963 births
Living people
Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly
Republican Party New York (state) state senators
Catholic University of America alumni
Syracuse University College of Law alumni
People from Horseheads, New York
People from Big Flats, New York
Politicians from Elmira, New York
21st-century American politicians