Peter K. Oberacker Jr. (born May 13, 1963) is an American businessman and politician. He is a member of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan com ...

, representing, the 51st district. The boundaries of the 51st district changed following the

2020 United States redistricting cycle The 2020 United States redistricting cycle is in progress following the completion of the 2020 United States census. In all fifty states, various bodies are re-drawing state legislative districts. States that are apportioned more than one se ...

, and the district now includes portions of Broome, Chenango,

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan, and

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...

counties. First elected to the state senate in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

, he succeeded the longtime incumbent James Seward, and assumed office in January 2021. Prior to becoming a state senator, he served in different local offices and helped launch the company FormTech Solutions.

Early life and career

Oberacker was born in

Merrick, New York Merrick is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. , the population was 20,130. Geography According to the United States Census Bure ...

. He graduated from

SUNY Delhi The State University of New York at Delhi (SUNY Delhi or Delhi State College) is a public college in Delhi, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Over 3,000 students attend the institution. SUNY Delhi offers ...

. After graduating from college, he joined his father, also named Peter Oberacker, in operating Spicey Pete's Meats, a market in Schenevus. Oberacker first entered the political sphere when he was elected to the

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

Town Board, a position he held for two terms before being elected town supervisor. After two terms as supervisor, Oberacker was elected to serve as an Otsego County legislator. In 2020, retiring Senator James Seward encouraged Oberacker to run for the senate seat that he occupied at the time. Oberacker eventually won the seat, winning 55.4 percent of the vote. He assumed office in January 2021.

Political positions

Marijuana

Oberacker voted against the bill that legalized recreational marijuana usage in New York. The bill was signed by Governor Cuomo on March 31, 2021.

Recreation

Oberacker's first bill to be approved by the senate was a bill that designated

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

as the official state sport of New York, an idea that was inspired by Cooperstown Elementary School students. The bill passed by a vote of 61-2.

Personal life

Oberacker has a wife named Shannon, who he calls his "high school sweetheart". He has two children and one granddaughter. He lives in Schenevus, New York and is a member of his local fire department and EMS squad.

Electoral history

References

Republican Party New York (state) state senators Living people 1963 births {{NewYork-NYSenate-stub