About Thomas

Not new to this, true to this. Peep the Kids for Kerry pins!

Allow me to introduce myself...

My name is Thomas Boomhower. I'm a lifelong Democrat, an economic developer, a historian, and a committed public servant. I'm running for Assembly in large part because of the dedication to public service I've seen modeled by my Mom for as long as I can remember. She's built a career on working tirelessly to better the lives of those in her community, and I've seen that impact first hand countless times. We need people dedicated to true public service in elected office.

I've spent my life trying to replicate the impact she's had. As a kid that meant canvassing and phone banking for local elections, volunteering at voter registration drives, and serving as Student Council President. And like her, I've spent my career working to improve the lives of New Yorkers.

That's included working for both houses of the New York State Legislature, as a Legislative Assistant in the NYS Senate, and a Researcher for the NYS Assembly Majority, where on a given day I could tackle anything from preparing policy memos, to constituent services, to drafting legislation supporting local libraries. For the last four years my career has been centered on supporting our rural economies. First, at a statewide association that curated best practices, and success stories, particularly for rural economic development, and then as a practitioner in the community I grew up in as the Economic Development Specialist for Greene County.

Having the opportunity to help lead small business support programs, workforce development initiatives, and strategic industry attraction efforts in the place I grew up, was truly incredible, and it showed me just how hard things are for our rural communities in Upstate New York. That's why my work now is focused on supporting the next wave of entrepreneurs and the innovation economy in Upstate. I believe that smart economic development is critical for ensuring our communities and small businesses remain viable and competitive.

My commitment to public service has extended beyond my career. I'm also privileged to serve as a Village Trustee in Catskill. During my time in office I've had the opportunity to work on our Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, serve on our Downtown Revitalization Initiative Committee, and serve as the Village's liaison to historical and environmental groups like Climate Smart Catskill. I've also consistently championed housing in our community, with a focus on delivering housing affordable for our residents.

I'm running for NYS Assembly because I believe that my combination of experience in economic development, public service and governance, have given me the skillset we need to tackle the challenges facing our region. We need a comprehensive approach that centers our communities and is rooted in public service.

Now the Personal Part

I live in the Village of Catskill with my wife Maddy, and our wonderful pets.

I graduated from Coxsackie-Athens High School.

I have a Bachelor's of Science in Law & Society from Sage College of Albany. My studies focused on a mix of pre-law, criminal justice, sociology, and psychology courses.

I have a Master's of Arts in United States History from SUNY Albany. My studies centered on race and gender in American history, as well as settler colonialism, and Indigenous American history.

I'm an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction, some of my favorite works include Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown, A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin, the Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee, and American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee.

I love hiking, fishing (especially ice fishing), and just generally being in the woods, but I don't do any of it nearly enough.