Tom O'Mara

Thomas Fellers O'Mara was born on May 31, 1963. He is a Republican member of the New York State Senate, representing the 58th Senate District, which spans the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions, covering the counties of Chemung, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, and Yates.

O'Mara has been active in his community and the legal profession, serving as counsel to the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency and St. Joseph's Hospital in Elmira. He is also an attorney at Barclay Damon, where he concentrates his practice on commercial transactions, corporate, public finance, and real estate matters.

Political Experience

O'Mara was first elected to the New York State Senate on November 2, 2010. Prior to his Senate election, he served as a New York State Assemblyman representing the 137th Assembly District—comprising Chemung and Schuyler counties as well as part of Tioga County—for three consecutive two-year terms. During his final Assembly term, he was named Assistant Minority Leader Pro Tempore for the 2010 legislative session, the third-highest ranking position in the Assembly Republican legislative conference.

Before his legislative career, O'Mara served as the Chemung County District Attorney.

Notable Positions and Achievements

O'Mara currently serves as the ranking Republican member of the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Investigations and Government Operations Committee. From 2015 through 2018, he served as Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation, one of the Legislature's key committees.

He is an active member of several Senate committees, including Codes, Energy and Telecommunications, Insurance, Judiciary, and Rules. He has also participated in the Legislative Commission on the Development of Rural Resources and served on Senate Task Forces addressing heroin and opioid addiction, Lyme and tick-borne diseases, and workforce development.

O'Mara's legislative focus centers on improving the business climate in New York State and fostering economic growth throughout the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions.