Senator Antoine Maurice Thompson currently represents the State of  New York’s 60th District, which includes parts of  Erie and Niagara Counties and the cities of Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Tonawanda and the town of Grand Island.  Thompson was sworn into office on January 3, 2007. During the Senator’s first term in office he managed to get more than $32 million in funding for the Safe Routes To School Initiative.  The goal of the program was to improve traffic safety measures and enforcement while reducing congestion, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of schools. Thompson was re-elected in 2008 and quickly took on additional leadership responsibilities as the Senate’s Deputy Majority Whip, Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation and Co-Chair of the Senate’s Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) Taskforce.

Senator Thompson’s other top priorities include, education, healthcare, transportation, small business and economic development and public safety and development.  His advocacy for  public school reform emphasizes improving literacy and increasing the graduation rate through parent involvement and teacher accountability. Thompson also helped secure capital funding that allowed the Buffalo Public Schools to complete stages four and five of construction.

In 2009 Senator Thompson enacted the Bigger Better Bottle Bill, which increased and encouraged recycling throughout the state by including bottled water as a type of beverage that can be returned and recycled. The Senator also sponsored the Green Jobs Green New York bill, which provides loans and alternative financing options for new businesses that incorporate conservation technology and promote environmentally-friendly job development.

With the focus on revitalizing the Western New York economy and historical preservation, the Senator passed legislation to create and enact the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Commission, which promotes cultural tourism, ethnic heritage, and economic development.  The Senator also works closely with the small business and the MWBE community to cultivate new and expanding opportunities, which includes meeting utilization goals and being awarded a fair share of state contracts. 

The Senator’s Standing Committee Assignments for 2010 include: Environmental Conservation (Chair); Civil Service and Pensions; Finance; Health; Insurance; Local Government; Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation; Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs.
 
Thompson began his career in public service working as a Legislative Assistant  for the Buffalo Common Council Central Staff.  Well versed in quantitative and qualitative analysis, Thompson  conducted legislative research and presented recommendations for Affirmative Action policies and minority business development for the Council's consideration. Thompson was later appointed Executive Director of the Office of Urban Initiatives, Inc. (OUI) an economic development corporation that  focused on minority and women-owned business development and various urban policy issues.

On January 4, 2001, Thompson was unanimously appointed to the Buffalo Common Council to represent the Masten District. While in that position he was a member of the Committee on Community Development, and served as chairman for Committees on Education and Minority & Women Business Enterprise.  Thompson sponsored and passed Buffalo's Inclusion Law, which provides Minority & Women-Owned Businesses with thirty percent (30%) of the work on all construction projects.  Thompson also secured $75 million for community development projects like the Wading Pool in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, the largest man-made wading pool in New York State; the Frank E. Merriweather, Jr. Library; and the restoration of 60 Hedley Place, a 19th Century farmhouse linked to the Underground Railroad.

Born and raised in the city of Buffalo, Thompson attended public schools #60, #61 and graduated from Bennett High School. Thompson received a Bachelors of Science degree with a dual major in History and African American studies from the State University of New York at Brockport.  During his course of study he attended the University of Ghana, West Africa, focusing on government and social change.

Throughout his career, Thompson has received various awards, which include, but are not limited to the Solar Industries Association – The 2009 WNY Climate Action Coalition Leadership Award, Outstanding Legislator Award, Buffalo Audubon Society Government Award For Leadership and Conservation, Citizen Action- Progressive Leadership Award, and the Buffalo Branch NAACP – Medgar Evers Civil Rights Award among others.  Another highlight in his political career came on December 10, 2004, when Thompson participated in the Electoral College and the political process of choosing the President of the United States.

Antoine M Thompson’s greatest achievement and most precious job is being the loving husband of Merle Thompson, and a devoted father to Deja LaShay and Joseph Antoine Alexander Thompson. The Senator is also a member of Zion Dominion Global Ministries, where he serves on the Usher Board.

" Making Things Happen, Getting Things Done!"