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They're supporting the governor's proposal for campaign finance reform that would allow publicly-financed elections for those pursuing statewide offices.
State Senator Tim Kennedy, a newly re-elected Democrat, says the governor's plan would combat the influence of money in politics.
"Reform in the campaign-finance system will empower New York voters to get further involved and make their voices heard in the electoral process," Kennedy said.
He spoke on Tuesday outside the Erie County Board of Elections office in downtown Buffalo.
Kennedy was joined by State Senator-elect Ted O'Brien of the Rochester-area and other supporters who say it's a system of public financing that would help the average citizen -- without access to a lot of money -- make a run for office.
Other speakers included Ellen Kennedy and Gayla Thompson, members of the Western New York board of Citizen Action of New York.
"One thing about New York state politics is for sure -- the voters want to be in charge of who represents them. That'll only happen if we have a system of publicly financed Fair Elections to finally limit the influence of CEO campaign cash in our elections," Thompson said in a news release.
In Albany, State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos reportedly has said he's a bit skeptical of spending $200 million in public money to pay for political campaigns. However, Democrats point to a study from the Campaign Finance Institute that puts the cost of public-campaign finance at roughly $40 million -- or about $2 per New Yorker per year.