Your monthly support provides voters the knowledge they need to make confident decisions at the polls. Donate today.
Sam Rodgers
Sam Rodgers (Republican Party, Conservative Party, Independence Party, Serve America Movement Party) ran for election to the New York State Senate to represent District 53. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Rodgers completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Sam Rodgers earned his undergraduate degree from Syracuse University in May 2015. He also attended Cornell Law School and the Maxwell School of Public Citizenship at Syracuse University for graduate studies. His professional experience includes working as an attorney.[1]
Elections
2020
See also: New York State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for New York State Senate District 53
Incumbent Rachel May defeated Sam Rodgers and Russell Penner in the general election for New York State Senate District 53 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Rachel May (D / Working Families Party) | 54.8 | 66,643 |
 | Sam Rodgers (R / Conservative Party / Independence Party / Serve America Movement Party)  | 44.2 | 53,734 | |
 | Russell Penner (L) | 1.0 | 1,246 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 52 | ||
| Total votes: 121,675 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Rachel May advanced from the Democratic primary for New York State Senate District 53.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Sam Rodgers advanced from the Republican primary for New York State Senate District 53.
Conservative Party primary election
The Conservative Party primary election was canceled. Sam Rodgers advanced from the Conservative Party primary for New York State Senate District 53.
Independence Party primary election
The Independence Party primary election was canceled. Sam Rodgers advanced from the Independence Party primary for New York State Senate District 53.
Libertarian primary election
The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Russell Penner advanced from the Libertarian primary for New York State Senate District 53.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Mark Braiman (L)
Serve America Movement Party primary election
The Serve America Movement Party primary election was canceled. Sam Rodgers advanced from the Serve America Movement Party primary for New York State Senate District 53.
Working Families Party primary election
The Working Families Party primary election was canceled. Incumbent Rachel May advanced from the Working Families Party primary for New York State Senate District 53.
Campaign themes
2020
Video for Ballotpedia
| Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released April 6, 2020 |
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Sam Rodgers completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Rodgers' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
I grew up in a tight-knit family as the middle child between four sisters. My parents always preached the responsibility of service and the qualities of leadership. I witnessed the value of hard work from my paternal grandfather on the dairy farm and compassion from my maternal grandfather who was a pastor.
In college, I started 50 consecutive games for the Syracuse University football team and was elected team captain by my teammates and coaches for my senior season. I leveraged my position as a college athlete to lead local service projects and speak to local school children. After college, I attended Cornell Law School to enhance my ability to serve the Syracuse community. Football established my love for service and studying law developed the tools I needed to effectively represent Central New York.
Currently, I work as an Assistant District Attorney. My wife Jenna works for the Syracuse University Athletic Department and was a captain of the Syracuse Women's Soccer team when we met as undergraduates. We live in the City of Syracuse with our dog Truman.
- Fresh Perspective
- Strong Advocate
- I Will Defend Central New York
First, the job allowed me to train for the NFL. In the year that I worked in the Equipment room I tried out for the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, and Atlanta Falcons. In these tryouts I lived out a childhood dream of mine, meeting John Elway and training in the shadow of Lambeau Field. I also had to face the reality that my ultimate dream of playing in the NFL might not happen. Football had taught me many life lessons and I understood it was time to apply those lessons on a different field.
Second, it was in the equipment room that I began researching the benefits of law school. I wanted a career where I could positively influence and inspire my community. I found that a law degree would open up doors to serve the community as a career. I really enjoyed law school and feel that it has equipped me to analyze problems quickly and approach challenges with an open mind.
It seems that my bull dog, Truman, has a crush on the neighbor's dog, Layla. So I sing him a little Eric Clapton. The only problem is I only know one word to the song, "Laaayy- LA."
My wife, Jenna, and I are dedicated to reversing these trends. After I graduated from Cornell Law School, and Jenna had established herself as a valuable employee to the Syracuse Athletic department, we had job opportunities outside of Central New York. However, we determined that the potential to thrive in Central New York is unmatched. We strive to encourage all people to see Central New York for its positives and work to change its negatives. Our quest started with choosing Central New York over other geographical regions in the country and continues with my journey to the state legislature.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 6, 2020
