Republican State Senator William Larkin will say goodbye to public office at the end of this year. 

The 90-year-old senator made the announcement at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center, a place he helped secure funding to convert into a learning enrichment center for local youth, on Thursday.

Community leaders gathered to congratulate Larkin on his nearly four decades in the state legislature. 

"I met him in '92 when I was a senior in high school," said Republican Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus. "He came and spoke to us about leadership, and I've been friends with him ever since. The man is a role model, a good man."

Larkin served as both an Assemblyman and a Senator representing the Hudson Valley. 

"He's been a champion for the people," said Newburgh City Mayor Torrance Harvey, a Democrat. "He's been a champion for the city, and we can't thank him enough for his great service."

His announcement adds another open seat to the mix to be contested in November. Both Republicans and Democrats have been offered as possible candidates. 

"I think Orange County will be the epicenter of politics this November," said Neuhaus.