MILFORD — Former longtime state Sen. James Seward, who represented parts of Ulster County in the 50th and 51st state senate districts from 1987 to 2020, died on Saturday. He was 72.
After serving for 17 terms over 33 years in the state Senate, Seward stepped down at the end of 2020, citing his diagnosis of bladder cancer. Seward’s seat was won by State Sen. Peter Oberacker, R-Schenevus, who has held the seat since.
Seward, born in Oneonta in 1951, attended Oneonta public schools before graduating from Hartwick College with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He also studied at the Nelson Rockefeller Institute of SUNY Albany. Seward was given an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Hartwick College in 1999.
Seward is also a former Milford town justice and former chairman of the Otsego County Republican Committee. According to the New York State Senate website, He was a delegate to the 1976, 1980, and 1988 Republican National Conventions as well as an alternate delegate in 1996.
Seward represented several towns in Ulster County at the end of his tenure as a Republican State Senator for the 51st district, including Rochester, Olive, Shandaken, and Hardenburgh. Seward also represented towns in Delaware, Cayuga, Chenango, Herkimer, Tompkins, Otsego, Cortland, and Schoharie counties.
Seward is survived by his wife, Cynthia Seward, and his two grown children, Ryan and Lauren.
Oberacker said in a statement that Seward was a “true icon in New York State politics”
“As we mourn his loss and extend our heartfelt condolences to Cindy and the entire Seward family, we also pause to celebrate a life well-lived,” Oberacker said. “Jim’s legacy, respected by both sides of the aisle, will be remembered with great admiration. I will forever cherish the time I spent with Jim, his invaluable counsel, insightful perspectives, and profound wisdom.”
U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro, R-Catskill, also expressed his condolences in a statement. “It is with a heavy heart that we mourn the passing of former New York Senator James Seward, a public servant whose leadership and dedication have left a lasting impact on his community and his state,” Molinaro said. “As we honor his unwavering commitment to improving the lives of New Yorkers, his legacy of integrity, passion, and profound decency will never be forgotten.”