Tom Duane

State Senator Thomas K. Duane represents New York's 29th State Senate District, which includes Manhattan's Upper West Side, Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen, Greenwich Village, and parts of the East Side. First elected to the New York State Senate in 1998 after seven years in the New York City Council, Senator Duane is the State Senate's first and only openly-gay and openly HIV-positive member.

His accomplishments include spearheading the State Senate's passage of many noteworthy bills that have now been signed into law, including the Marriage Equality Act, Family Health Care Decisions Act, Hate Crimes Protection Act, Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act, Dignity for All Students Act, Intimate Partners Adoption Act, Midwifery Modernization Act, Palliative Care Information Act, Sex Trafficking Victims Second Chance Act, and landmark HIV testing and clean syringe access legislation.

Senator Duane is the Ranking Member of the State Senate Committee on Health. In this role Senator Duane is committed to promoting sound health care policy and quality, affordable health care for all New Yorkers. He is also member of the Senate's Codes; Children and Families; Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks & Recreation; Finance; Mental Health and Rules committees. In his work on these committees and on the floor of the Senate, Senator Duane is a strong and effective advocate for those New Yorkers who normally do not have a voice in the halls of government.

A resident of New York's Chelsea neighborhood since 1976, Senator Duane was elected to four terms as Male Democratic District Leader in the 64th Assembly District beginning in 1982. He also served for seven years on his local community board. A native New Yorker, he attended Lehigh University, where he earned a degree in Urban Studies and American Studies.