MEET SAMRA

Senator Samra Brouk was elected to represent New York’s 55th Senate District in November 2020, making her the first Black woman from Upstate New York and the first Black person from the Greater Rochester Area to serve in the New York State Senate. The 55th Senate District includes the City of Rochester's east side and several towns throughout Monroe County.

As the Chair of the Senate Committee on Mental Health, Samra has prioritized improving access to critical mental health resources. She works proactively to address the intersection of mental health with education, substance misuse, criminal justice, healthcare, race, and cultural competence. She serves on the Health, Children and Families, Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs, Consumer Protection, Cities 2, and Internet and Technology Committees and is Co-Chair of the Joint Senate Task Force on Opioids, Addiction, and Overdose Prevention and the Joint Legislative Public Hearing on the Mental Hygiene Executive Budget.

Before her time in the New York State Senate, Senator Brouk served as a United States Peace Corps volunteer for two years as a health educator in rural Guatemala. Upon returning to the United States, she continued her career in the nonprofit sector, focusing on protecting the environment, helping seniors age in place, and addressing education inequities.

Samra lives in the City of Rochester with her husband and daughter.