George Onorato was a Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 member of the New York State Senate

New York State Senate

The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...

, representing the 12th Senate District in Queens

Queens

Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....

, New York, since winning a special election in 1983.

Onorato was Vice Chair of the Minority Conference, Co-chair of the New York State Armed Forces Legislative Caucus, and Co-Chairman of the New York State Senate Democratic Task Force on Energy & Conservation. He generally opposes same-sex marriage legislation. He is a member of New York State Senate Democratic Puerto Rican and Hispanic Task Force, the Senate Minority Task Force on Vietnam Veterans, and the Senate Minority Task Force on Waterfront Development.

Onorato graduated from Long Island City High School

Long Island City High School

Long Island City High School, commonly abbreviated L.I.C. or LICHS, is a public high school in New York City, located in Long Island City in the borough of Queens. The present building was built in 1995...

. He served in the 118th Medical Battalion of the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 from 1950 to 1952. Prior to his election to the Senate, he served as Secretary/Treasurer of Bricklayers Local #41

International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers

The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers is a labor union in the United States and Canada which represents bricklayers, pointers/cleaners/caulkers, stone and marble masons, cement masons, plasterers, tilesetters, terrazzo and mosaic workers...

 for 15 years. Onorato is resident of the Queens district he has represented since 1983. Married to the former Athena Georgakakos, he is the father of three adult children (Joanne, George, and Janice) and has six grandchildren.

On December 2, 2009, Onorato voted against same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriage in New York

Same-sex marriage in the U.S. state of New York became legal on July 24, 2011, under the Marriage Equality Act, which was passed on June 24, 2011, by the New York State Legislature and signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo on the same day...

legislation, which failed to pass the Senate.

Onorato announced on January 11, 2010, that he would not be a candidate for reelection.