Michael P. Kearns

Michael P. "Mickey" Kearns is an American politician who serves as Clerk of Erie County, New York. Kearns previously represented the 142nd New York State Assembly District, which spans South Buffalo, half of the city of Lackawanna, West Seneca and Orchard Park, from 2012 to 2017;^[1] he has also served on the Buffalo Common Council. Kearns was elected Erie County Clerk in a 2017 special election.

Early career

Prior to his election to the Assembly, Kearns served as South Buffalo's representative on the Buffalo Common Council, where he was elected to succeed Jeffrey M. Conrad. Kearns had previously run in the Democratic primary in the 2009 Buffalo mayoral election against incumbent Byron Brown. Kearns was also the chief of staff to South District councilman Dennis Manley for two years before starting his own political career.

State Assembly

Kearns is a registered Democrat. He ran for Assembly in a March 2012 special election^[2] without the Democrats' support on the lines of the Republican and Independence Party.^[3] He was elected in a special election on March 20, 2012, defeating Chris Fahey, the endorsed Democrat.^[4] While he stated his intention to caucus with the Democrats, Kearns also stated that he would not support Speaker Sheldon Silver; this stance mirrored the position taken by Kearns's predecessor, Mark J. F. Schroeder. On May 20, 2013, Kearns left the Assembly Democratic Conference and called for Silver to resign from his post as Speaker of the Assembly; Kearns took these steps after Silver's confidential, taxpayer-funded settlement of sexual harassment claims against fellow Assembly Democrat Vito Lopez became public.^[5][6] Following the ouster of Speaker Silver, Kearns rejoined the Assembly Democratic Conference.^[7][8]

While in the Assembly, Kearns pushed for accountability for banks who allow properties that are the subject of abandoned foreclosures to fall into disrepair,^[9] and he fought against a bill that allowed the Western New York Children's Psychiatric Center to be closed or relocated.^[10] As an Assemblymember, Kearns voted for a minimum wage increase^[11] and a paid family leave bill,^[12] and voted against the NY SAFE Act (a gun control bill),^[13] the NY DREAM Act (providing in-state financial aid for undocumented college students who were brought to the United States as minors),^[14] and the Reproductive Health Act (an abortion rights bill).^[15]

Kearns resigned his Assembly seat in 2017 after being elected Erie County Clerk.

Erie County Clerk

Mickey announced his candidacy for Erie County Clerk in mid-2017 on the Republican line against Democratic candidate and former WBEN host Steve Cichon.^[16] The clerkship had been vacant since January 2017, when then-Clerk Chris Jacobs resigned the post after being elected the New York State Senate. Kearns ran for County Clerk on the Republican, Conservative, Independence, and Reform Party lines,^[17] was elected County Clerk in November 2017,^[18] and was sworn in on December 5, 2017.^[19] After becoming Erie County Clerk, Kearns urged the State of New York to delay the January 31 recertification deadline for pistol permit holders who obtained their permits before January 2013, arguing that a delay would allow state and county governments to work out kinks in the process. Kearns explained, "'We should not be making law-abiding citizens into criminals based on them not re-certifying.'"^[20]

References

External links

• New York State Assembly member website