A conversation with state Sen. James Skoufis

By Bob Curtis
“I like to think of myself as a public servant, rather than as a politician,” says James Skoufis, the newly minted New York State Senator for the 39th district, slated to be sworn in on Sunday, Jan. 20 at Monroe-Woodbury Middle School.
Skoufis, a Woodbury Democrat, won the seat last November, succeeding Republican Senator Bill Larkin, who had occupied that position in the Senate for more than 25 years.
After six years representing the 99th Assembly District, Skoufis took a calculated risk in accepting the challenge to seek a “promotion” in running for the historically Republication seat in the State Senate. The Photo News sat down with then Senator-elect Skoufis to discuss his philosophy of governance and to discern the personal, historical roots of his impassioned activism.
PN: What is it about your background or upbringing that would motivate a young man of 21 to pursue a career in the difficult, sometimes cutthroat realm of politics?
JS: Well, I’m half-Greek. My father was born in Greece, the so-called birthplace of democracy. In Greece, politics was considered a noble profession, an occupation people would choose in order to help their fellow citizens, basically to improve people’s lives. My dad came from a small agricultural village, about 100 people, which the Nazis had occupied along with all of Greece during World War II. They would steal all the villagers’ food for the soldiers, leaving the families with nothing. I think there may be one family left in that town. He came to this country with his parents and siblings as a teenager more than 50 years ago, and the family arrived in the U.S. with almost nothing. They settled in Brooklyn, where the remaining family members live today. My grandfather’s first job in the U.S. was at Nathan’s in Coney Island. And my dad still owns and runs a Greek deli in Bay Ridge.
PN: And what was your mother’s background and how did she help in defining your values?
JS: My mom’s side of the family was Irish, from Flushing, Queens. She attended the High School of Performing Arts in New York in the 1970’s, and had later danced professionally on Broadway, till a car accident cut short her career. Mom and dad divorced when I was very young, probably less than 5 years old. And after many years of working in the post office, where she met my stepfather, mom became a small business owner – she circled back to her performing arts roots and opened Studio 32, a dance studio which she ran first in Woodbury, then in Monroe and Sugarloaf. Mom passed away a few years ago in Florida, where she had been living since my stepdad died, so I only got to see her a couple of times a year. But I’m sure she was proud of me, and I hope she knew that she was responsible for a good part of my success. The backgrounds of both my parents, with their modest working-class roots, helped to influence how I do what I do today.
PN: Why have you chosen this path for your life after living here in Woodbury, New York, for a good part of your life?
JS: In my opinion, New York State is leaving many people behind in this district and beyond. I feel that both the state and federal governments spend far too much time and resources on those at the very top – well connected, sometimes super-rich folks who can afford to enlist the help of lobbyists and such -- they really don’t need help. But as I assume my new role in the Senate, I hope to be in a position to help more people, to do good in a bigger, better way for those that really need help.
PN: So what is it about your constituents that moves you to action, both as you worked in the Assembly the past six years and now in the Senate?
JS: Knowing these people as I do has helped shape my approach. For many of those I will represent, the situation they are in was forced upon them. They need help in their struggles and crave a little decency from those of us who represent them – someone to advocate for them. This applies to both the working poor who can’t afford even the bare necessities, and to those who are struggling to get to, or stay in, the middle class, perhaps living paycheck to paycheck, just one health crisis or accident away from losing it all. I know what both those situations are like, and it helps drive me to want to level the playing field.
PN: How did your schooling and early forays into the world of public service prepare you for the high stake’s arena of statewide governance? When did you know that you wanted to pursue a life in politics, for want of a better word?
JS: I didn’t know what my calling would be as early as some people might think. Yes, I tested the waters and ran for student senate at Monroe-Woodbury High School four times and lost only once – to date, the only election I have lost. Then, in college, I pursued degrees in Political Science, first an undergraduate degree at George Washington University in D.C. in 2008 and then a masters degree in “PoliSci” from Columbia in 2009. But even then, I wasn’t sure what to specialize in – to work on the political staff of an elected official, or in a campaign position, doing public policy, or as a political pollster?
I worked in New York City in a private-sector project management job for a time, commuting from here in Orange County. Then, when there was an opening on the Woodbury Town Board, I decided to pursue it and see if it was something I would like to do. And it turns out, I found it to be a positive and fulfilling experience.
PN: After the Town Board, you went on to the Assembly, where you served for six years. How would you describe that experience, and what did you learn from it?
JS: In my mind, there are two elements to the basic job description of a public servant, such as in the Assembly. One involves showing up in Albany and voting on the many issues of importance. The other involves what you make of the rest of your position of local leadership. Among other lessons, I learned the value of being productive in the community, identifying issues and problems, and working proactively on developing creative solutions. I bring stakeholders, community leaders, and constituents to my local office all the time to resolve problems that have nothing to do with passing a bill in Albany.
PN: How will that change now that you will be in the State Senate?
JS: I will be in a better position to do more in the Senate. There are 2-1/2 times as many Assembly members than Senators, so I feel I’ll have more leverage to get things done. I can just continue my public service in a bigger and better way.
Soon, for example, I will be representing the City of Newburgh. There are so many challenges in communities like that. I will be setting up a team to address removing graffiti in the city. Through initiatives like that, I hope to have a measurable positive impact on the quality of life for the people I represent. Yes, we pass budgets, we vote on legislation. But there’s more. Much more.
In my capacity as Assemblyman, I recently met with a representative of the Department of Transportation, where we discussed some proposals I had sent him regarding bridges, roads, the Newburgh/Beacon Ferry, as well as the re-paving of Route 32. All are issues I will still address as Senator. And I am optimistic that the repaving project should be completed in 2019. But it takes skillful lobbying to get things done.
PN: Are there other agenda items that will be significant here locally?
JS: Yes. I hope to promote the Monroe-Woodbury area as more than a bedroom community for New York City, but as a place where people want to come, live, work, and play, every day.
PN: In 1972, a movie was released starring Robert Redford called “The Candidate,” in which a young community activist is enlisted to run for a “vulnerable” U.S. Senate seat. Through the course of the movie, the Redford character is politically successful, but personally changes, and in some ways, is corrupted. How do you maintain your values and the standards for your service without becoming jaded or corrupted by the system?
JS: My approach, and I think it is a healthy one which I would offer as advice to anyone running for elected office, is this. I do my job as, as Assemblyman and now Senator, as I want to, I vote as I want to, and I say what I want to say. It is not calculated to see – if I vote this way or that way, how many re-election votes will I get? I do what I do based on what I think is the right thing to do. I love this job, and I think I’m good at it. But this is not “do or die” for me. If I lose an election because of some vote I made or some position I took, so be it. I am confident that I have developed the skills to be capable of finding other employment. I would do just fine.
PN: All that being said, there must be parts of the job of governing that are quite difficult, that test your resolve. The term of office for a federal Senator is six years, for example, but a New York Senator only has a two-year term, just like in the state Assembly. That means that after just a year in office, you will be campaigning once again. How then will you be able to do your job? And political rhetoric during your campaign must have been hurtful and distracting from your purpose.
JS: As to elections and re-election campaigns, I seem to be able to compartmentalize the two worlds that I operate in -- the political world that exists around campaign season and the far more important service role, which starts once the campaign ends. I represented Woodbury and Chester for six years, and I’m very proud of the work that I did for those constituencies, and even on behalf of Monroe, which I did not represent at the time. I put my heart and soul into that work, so I’ve been able to put any negativity from my campaigns in the back of my mind. I cannot allow any negative political experiences to jeopardize my positive working relationships.
PN: Speaking of working relationships, it is no secret that you have had a historically sensitive relationship with the Village of Kiryas Joel. You will now be representing that community in Albany. How will you address those issues?
JS: Issues surrounding Kiryas Joel are central to the politics of Orange County. As you say, I will now be representing the 25,000 people in that community. I’m sure that I will continue to disagree with Kiryas Joel leadership on certain issues, but I cannot and will not allow any such conflicts to distract from the fact that I now represent that entire village. Certainly, the citizens of KJ don’t deserve any less representation than any other community in my district, but they don’t deserve any more representation either, or any special treatment.
PN: Do you have any other thoughts to share about the state of state politics and the arc of your career thus far?
JS: Well, the New York State political landscape is changing, as you know. For example, I am the first Democrat in recent memory to win an Assembly seat in this district. And now, I am also the first Democrat in 40 years to win the State Senate seat I will soon occupy. The balance of power in both Washington and Albany has shifted.
And for me, not only do I want to work hard, but I have to work hard. I enjoy representing both Democrats and Republicans. This became a theme of my campaign. I don’t view the other side as the enemy. I know we’ll have differences. But I want to work with anyone who wants to work with me. I think we’ve lost that spirit today. Not only do politicians not want to work together, they don’t even want to speak with one another in many, if not most, cases.
PN: So, when all is said and done, what is it that truly motivates you?
JS: As to my drive, I genuinely care about what I do and want to see the people I represent be better off than when I started. Because I am both competitive and driven, I would take it as a personal failure if I were not able to do that.
Also, there is much to be said for proving the nay-sayers wrong and exceeding expectations. I was the underdog when I ran for Woodbury Town Board at 21-years old. In my first state Assembly run, I was a long shot. For my Senate bid, I faced the significant challenges of no-support from the statewide head of my party (the governor) and overcame the Village of Kiryas Joel bloc vote. And as always seems to be the case in politics, there were those who I had previously considered friends who not only did not endorse or support me, but actively campaigned against me.
PN: Final thoughts?
JS: As I said before, I love my job in public service, and I think I’m good at it. Yes, I’m competitive, and I always want to win. But I will never lose sight of making the best decisions to benefit my constituents. I think that the past six years have demonstrated my commitment to and love for my community. And so far, that approach has been rewarded by the faith people have placed in me. I take that trust very seriously, and I’m sure that the new communities I will now represent will see that commitment as well. I have always viewed it as my obligation to do the best I can for the folks I represent as a public servant, and to always, always deliver for them.