Following his retirement from the Army, Larkin was hired as an
executive assistant in the
New York State Senate and served a term as New Windsor town supervisor Larkin would go on to win 13 more two-year State Senate terms. In the Senate, Larkin represented portions of Orange, Rockland, and Ulster Counties. Known for his advocacy for veterans, Larkin helped to create the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in Orange County, New York in 2006. Larkin successfully urged the U.S. Postal Service to issue a stamp depicting the Purple Heart, and to later make it a "forever" stamp which continues to be in circulation despite price changes. According to the Albany
Times Union, Larkin "often shared anecdotes from his life experiences on the Senate floor". and voted against it again in 2011 when it passed. In 2013, he voted against the gun control law known as the
NY SAFE Act. Larkin voted in favor of medical marijuana legalization in 2014. Larkin's district was once considered a safe Republican district. Over time, however, the district underwent demographic changes. By 2018, enrolled Democrats outnumbered enrolled Republicans in the district by a significant margin. While Larkin was widely expected to retire sooner than he did, his continued presence helped keep his district (and the entire State Senate) in Republican hands and dissuaded some potential Democratic challengers from seeking the Senate seat in District 39. In May 2018, at the age of 90, Larkin announced that he would retire at year-end instead of seeking re-election. At the time of his announcement, Larkin was the only World War II veteran remaining in the New York State Legislature. In June 2018,
U.S. News & World Report reported that Larkin was believed to be one of only two World War II veterans still serving in a U.S. state legislature; the other was State Senator
Fred Risser of
Wisconsin. ==Personal life==