Maria Pavelock to run for state Senate in 47th

Maria Pavelock said state government needs an injection of new ideas from nontraditional sources if it wants to curb the dysfunction and return New York to national prominence.

The Oneida County Democrat said her experience as a teacher, small-business owner and mother of three gives her a perspective that's sorely lacking in the Legislature. She's decided to see if the residents of the 47th Senate District agree by campaigning for the seat this year.

"Albany needs a new type of politician, not someone who is recycled by the system," the Clinton resident said. "That's like doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. We really need men and women that embrace the 21st century with a type of attitude and mind-set that we need to work together."

State Sen. Joseph A. Griffo, a former Oneida County executive, already has said he will seek a third term. The Rome Republican has received the endorsement of the state Independence Party as well.

Ms. Pavelock, 54, said the strong partisan divide in the Senate — which Democrats control by a razor-thin majority — has caused lawmakers to "lose the ability to listen to each other and really come to a consensus."

The political neophyte said she's approached her life in the opposite fashion: looking to foster collaboration, not tear it apart.

The former Stony Brook University adjunct professor has organized the "It's a Zoo!" theater competition for Central New York elementary students for seven years. The community program promotes literacy in local schools and area zoos by having children stage plays about nature, the animal kingdom, or ecology.

Ms. Pavelock is also the co-owner of Digestive Disease Medicine of Central New York, a Utica-based business where her husband, Robert R., works as a gastroenterologist. The practice employs 68.

The couple met at a Polish university, where Dr. Pavelock was an exchange student. It was love that persuaded Ms. Pavelock to emigrate from her native country.

"When I came to America on July 4, 1979, I was so full of dreams. But I didn't know a word of English," she said. "My American dream has come true. And it's possible for all of us."

Ms. Pavelock, who endured economic crises while Poland was under communist rule, said it's "unbearable to think that such a rich state as New York — rich in people and resources — could possibly have a $9.2 billion gap."

She called for a fair but fiscally conservative approach to government, saying the tax burden "cannot just be on the back of the middle class and small-business owners, because they are the backbone of our economy."

She also supports same-sex marriage and abortion rights.

"I respect family and marriage between a man and a woman," she said. "This is the most sacred social unit that has worked over history. But we're in the 21st century and we need to recognize all people because they contribute to our society."

Last week, she won the endorsement of the Oneida County Democratic Committee over county Legislator Michael Hennessy, a Sherrill Democrat and former minority leader who also is seeking the seat.

"That party endorsement speaks volumes," Ms. Pavelock said, saying the group demonstrated "the initial vote of confidence in my ability."

She'd like to keep that momentum going next week when St. Lawrence County Democrats screen candidates for endorsement.

"I want the entire 47th District to know this candidate with an accent," she said.

The district includes parts of St. Lawrence and Oneida counties and all of Lewis County.