Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 127

Pete Lopez is the son of a working class family who scrubbed floors, blocked store shelves, baled hay and scraped fish - All with the hopes of funding his college education and building a future in New York.

Now the Schoharie County Clerk, Pete served on the staff of the New York State Legislature for twenty-one years. There, he worked with a broad range of public and private interests at the federal, state and local level to improve the quality of life for the people of New York State.

As Associate Director of the Senate Agriculture Committee (Senator John R. Kuhl, Jr., Chairman), Assistant Director of the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources (Senator Charles D. Cook, Chairman), District Office Director for Assembly Minority Leader John J. Faso and Executive Assistant to Senator John J. Bonacic, he helped develop legislation and budget proposals, assisted with agency regulatory review, served on interagency advisory committees, responded to individual constituent needs, and advanced community projects.

Pete served ten years as an elected local official and devoted himself to improving government cost-effectiveness. As a village trustee, town councilman and member of the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors, Pete addressed pressing local concerns and worked with many groups and individuals in service to the community. These included the Schoharie Youth Recreation Commission, Central Bridge Water Board, Barton Hill Aquifer Committee, Tri Town Assessor Advisory Committee, Schoharie Pool Reconstruction Committee, Schoharie Main Street Committee and the Town's Long range Planning Committee. As a county legislator, Peter served as a member of the Health Services Committee; Social Services Committees, Community Services Board, the Board of Health and the Flood Control Committee.

In recognition of his town and county service, Schoharie County Operation Desert Care awarded Pete the David Williams Award for Preservation of Freedom. He was appointed to the Association of Counties' Statewide Transportation Advisory Committee and the Association of Towns' Statewide Legislative Advisory Committee.

Pete continues to serve extensively in volunteer service capacities. He has been an altar server trainer, is cantor and lector at St. Joseph's and St. Catherine's churches; a Community Band member; Red Cross water safety instructor; Schoharie Youth Soccer director and coach; Schoharie Central School Ski Club advisor; black belt karate instructor for the Zen Do Kai Martial Arts Association; Eagle Scout project advisor; member of an advisory committee on runaway and troubled youth; and chairman of the Schoharie Main Street Committee. He was a founding member of Habitat for Humanity of Schoharie County.

Additionally, Pete serves as a board member of Bassett Hospital of Schoharie County, Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce, the SUNY Cobleskill Foundation and the SUNY Cobleskill Alumni Association.

He received the Distinguished Alumni Award from SUNY Cobleskill, the State University of New York's Golden Anniversary Chancellor's Recognition award, the New York State Masons' General Douglas MacArthur Award for Service to Youth, and, in 2004, the Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce's Leader of the Year Award.

Pete is an honors graduate of Schoharie Central School, the State University College at Cobleskill, and the University at Albany, where he earned a masters' degree in public administration in 1988.

Pete resides on Spring Street in the Village of Schoharie with his wife, Lisa, and their children Steffy, Noah & Ben. Their son Brandon is currently working in Florida and attending college part time.