State Sen. Walcyzk faces new opponent in 49th district race

WEST MARTINSBURG, New York (WWNY) - A Lewis County woman is looking to unseat state Senator Mark Walczyk in New York’s 49th senate district.

Her name is Cassie Robbins-Forbus, and she held her candidacy announcement event today, at her family’s business in West Martinsburg, just outside of Lowville.

A Lewis County native, Robbins-Forbus is a grant writer for Samaritan Medical Center. She is also the chair of the Lewis County Democratic Committee.

Just prior to her event, we spoke with her and she told us, if elected she’ll do everything she can to represent the will of her constituents.

“I don’t have policies set in stone,” she said. “I have my own feelings and opinions but it’s not just about my feelings. It’s about what the folks need. Listening to our small business owners, our farmers, our non profit agencies, what they need from the state is the most important part of all of this. It’s about coming together, working on things that matter to our folks. Electricity, cost, affordability. Those aren’t just buzzwords. They’re actually things affecting my pocket book and yours.”

Walczyk, a Republican, was originally elected to the Senate seat in 2022, and began serving in 2023.