For 17 elections and two primaries, the people of the 51st Senate district have placed their trust in Jim Seward.
Now after 34 years, he's saying goodbye to politics.
Seward made the announcement last January due to ongoing cancer treatments.
2020 also through another challenge at the Senator.
He was hospitalized for COVID and recovered.
More than 3 decades of service, state senator james seward is saying goodbye to albany and hello to retirement.
He made the decision in january -- after a battle with cancer -- to not seek re- election.
He had no idea, at the time, he'd end up battling covid too.
Senator seward gave everyone in the 51st district a scare -- early on in the pandemic.
But even a hospital stay didn't stop him from working.
Of course, he had to learn how to zoom this year too.
Newschannel two's brent kearney is live here in the studio --- after speaking with the senator on zoom....about his milestone moments.
Kristen, the people of 51st senate district have placed their tstn seward throh 17 elections and 2 primaries, the people in the 9 counties he served including otsego and herkimer counties....h ave put their trust in jim seward.
And now after 34 years, he's retiring.
From the early days of his life, jim seward has always wanted to serve his community.
.
None .
None "i can think back to my grade school days.
I was always interested in current events, on what was happening in the community and in the world and in our country.
I thought it would be more helpful and it would have more impact to get a seat at the table where decisions are being made."
The people then chose to send seward to albany in 1986 at age 35.
Since then, he's been committed to making his community a better place to live.
And not letting medical hardships standing in the way.
He was recently being treated for cancer and survived covid....whether it was improving economic growth or taking the phone calls from constituents in his office.seward was always there for his community.
"i derived a great deal of satisfaction with helping people as a senator."
"that has been the number one complaint is high property taxes in particular, school taxes.
So i was very pleased to have been apart of the effort to enact the star program.
I received letters from a number of senior citizens saying that the only reason they could stay in their homes was because of the star program."
But after all those achievements, seward says there's one regret he hopes his successor can tackle.
"a source of frustration for me is that we have not been able to reverse the source of the out migration from new york state yet.
I certainly hope that my successor and legislators and even within the administration will take up that cause because that is a very disturbing trend."
And through both of those ups and downs, seward has one final message for his constituents.
"a word of thank you and deep appreciation for the people of my district.
They have supported me in 17 eltns and two primaries over the course of my tenure.
They have shown me overwhelming support every time i've run for office.
That has been something that's psonallymeanind confidence to be sacred public trust.
Myeart is fl of gratide to theeople of e region offfording methis oppom and represent them.
I've considered it ahon of a litime."> sewd will bereplaced r oberacr and of cour all of us here at wktv would like to wish the senator as happy retirement.
In the studio brent kearney news channel 2 for the ninth time since