NY State Senate · District 23
Ruslan Shamal
CandidateRC
- Race
- NY State Senate · District 23
- Result
- Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, projected winner
- Opponent
- Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D, Affordable & Safe Party)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did3 statements · 0 votes
Support the NYPD with resources, recruitment, and respect
Increase police funding and staffing
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotNY State Senate · 23
2026-11-03
| Jessica Scarcella-Spanton DAffordable & Safe Party | incumbent |
| Ruslan Shamal RC | challenger |
Said vs. did
Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.
Support the NYPD with resources, recruitment, and respect
Campaign issues page says his Senate votes would support the NYPD with resources and recruitment.[5]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Support parents and education policies that work by restoring parental involvement, backing school choice, and keeping politics out of the classroom.
Campaign homepage lists backing school choice among his education positions.[6]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Opposing City of Yes style mandates that ignore local input
Campaign issues page calls policies like City of Yes top-down mandates that override neighborhood input and increase density without infrastructure, and lists preserving local decision-making and protecting one- and two-family homes among his votes.[5]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Biography
Ruslan Shamal, a Republican/Conservative Staten Island broadcaster and small-business owner, lost the November 3, 2026 election for New York State Senate District 23 to Jessica Scarcella-Spanton. Born in Belarus, he has lived on Staten Island since 2014, has worked in broadcast media for more than 20 years, and ran unsuccessfully for New York City Council District 49 in 2023.[1][2][3][4]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Ruslan Shamal emigrated from Belarus and lived in Brooklyn and Massachusetts before settling on Staten Island in 2014.[2] According to his campaign website, he worked blue-collar jobs after arriving in the United States, built a small business and became a longtime radio host; the site also says he lives on Staten Island and works in Brooklyn.[7] He has worked in broadcast media for more than 20 years and runs an e-commerce business, and the report describing his candidacy calls him a radio host.[2] He also opened FurStar Resort, a dog daycare business in Staten Island's Tompkinsville neighborhood.[2]
Shamal ran for New York City Council District 49 in 2023 on the Safe Streets SI Party line and finished second to incumbent Kamillah Hanks, 16.4% to 79.2%.[1] He was the Republican and Conservative Party candidate for State Senate District 23 on the November 3, 2026 ballot.[1] According to a September 2026 news report, his campaign focused on public safety, bail law changes, and opposing tax increases.[2] He received 35.5% of the vote to Jessica Scarcella-Spanton's 64.3%, according to unofficial results reported by Ballotpedia and Wikipedia.[3][4]
In their own words
Priorities
- Frames his campaign around opposition to democratic socialism in New York City and his personal experience under authoritarian government in Belarus.[8]
- Says he would support the NYPD and public-safety initiatives, and would vote to repeal or reform the state's bail laws.[8]
- Says he would oppose new taxes and "hidden fees."[8]
Statements, quoted without a stance
- Raise taxes on high earners or corporations
“Stop tax hikes and hidden fees that drive up the cost of living”[5]
On his campaign issues page, under "How I will vote in Albany"
Campaign moneyNo FEC filing summary matched — state candidates file with their state, not the FEC.
Profile: /people/ruslan-shamal
Compare all 2 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.Ruslan Shamal · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.He Escaped Belarus. Now, Radio Host Is Running for Office on Staten Island to Fight Socialism · Bytes Europe · 2026-09 News report
- 3.NY State Senate · District 23 results 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
- 4.NY State Senate · District 23 results 2026 · Wikipedia · 2026-11-09 Reference
- 5.Issues · Shamal campaign website Candidate's own words
- 6.Ruslan Shamal for New York State Senate · Shamal campaign website Candidate's own words
- 7.Ruslan Shamal for NYS Senate · Ruslan Shamal for NYS Senate (campaign website) · 2026-10-19 Candidate's own words
- 8.He Escaped Belarus. Now, Radio Host Is Running for Office on Staten Island to Fight Socialism · Bytes Europe · 2026-09 News report