Timothy M. Kennedy (politician)

Timothy M. Kennedy
Member of the New York Senate
from the 63rd district
Assumed office
January 1, 2013
Preceded by District established
Member of the New York Senate
from the 58th district
In office
January 1, 2011 – December 31, 2012
Preceded by William Stachowski
Succeeded by Tom O'Mara
Personal details
Nationality American
Political party Democratic
Residence South Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Alma mater D'Youville College
Website Official website

Timothy M. "Tim" Kennedy (born October 20, 1976) is an American politician from New York. He is currently a Democratic member of the New York State Senate, representing the 63rd District since January 2013. He previously represented the 58th District from 2011 to 2013, which included parts of Erie County, including part of Buffalo and all of Lackawanna and Cheektowaga. Kennedy is currently the only member of the State Senate west of Albany who caucuses with the Democratic Conference in the State Senate.[1]

Kennedy grew up in South Buffalo, where he currently lives. He was an occupational therapist before entering politics. He was appointed to the Erie County Legislature in 2004, and re-elected in 2005 and 2007. In 2010, Kennedy defeated incumbent William Stachowski for the Democratic nomination for a State Senate seat, and won the general election, defeating Jack Quinn III. He was reelected in 2012 and 2014, winning the Democratic nomination in vigorously fought primaries against Betty Jean Grant on both occasions. He was reelected to his current term in 2016.

Early life and education

Kennedy was born on October 20, 1976. He was raised in South Buffalo, one of five children of Martin and Mary Kennedy.[2] His father works as Buffalo's commissioner of assessment and taxation.[3] He received his early education at St. Martin's Elementary School, and attended high school at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute. He interned for then-State Assemblyman and current U.S. Representative Brian Higgins.[3] He earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in occupational therapy from D'Youville College.[2]

Career

Kennedy worked as an occupational therapist for eleven years.[2] In late 2004, at the age of 28, he was appointed to the Erie County Legislature, representing the 2nd District, after Mark J. F. Schroeder was elected to the State Assembly.[4] He was re-elected in 2005 and 2007. He was one of three Democratic members to form a coalition legislature with the six Republican members.[3][5] During his tenure, he served as chairman of the legislature's Economic Development Committee and vice-chairman of the Public Safety Committee, and a member of the Board of Directors at the Erie County Industrial Development Agency.[2]

State Senate

Elections

2010 election

In 2010, Kennedy challenged incumbent William Stachowski for the Democratic nomination for the 58th District in the New York State Senate.[6] Kennedy also earned the endorsement of the Conservative Party,[7] which had previously supported Stachowski.[5] Stachowski was one of eight Democratic state senators who had voted against a bill allowing same-sex marriage in New York, while Kennedy supported it, earning him the backing of gay rights organizations in the primary.[8][9] Kennedy ultimately defeated Stachowski by a margin of 63%-26%.[10] amid a wave of anti-incumbent voter sentiment.[7]

In the 2010 general election, Kennedy defeated Republican Assemblyman Jack Quinn III, gaining 47% of the vote to Quinn's 45%.[11] The remaining votes went to Stachowski, who had remained on the ballot on the Independence Party and Working Families Party lines.[12]

2012 election

In 2012, Kennedy survived a primary challenge from Democrat Betty Jean Grant, prevailing by just 139 votes. The closeness of the election prompted a protracted court battle heard by Justice Joseph R. Glownia of the State Supreme Court.[13]

Kennedy was re-elected in the November 2012 general election, when he ran uncontested.[14]

2014 election

In 2014, Kennedy had a rematch against Grant in the Democratic primary, and again won, with a larger margin than the 2012 primary.[15] The race received much attention, with campaign spending by the candidates and outside groups surpassing $1 million.[16] Kennedy received the backing of the New York State United Teachers and realtors, while Grant received the support of the Independent Democratic Conference, a breakaway group of state Senate Democrats who sided with Republicans in the Senate.[16] Kennedy's base of support was South Buffalo, Lackawanna, and Cheektowaga, while Grant's base of support was Buffalo's East Side.[15] Kennedy received 16,660 votes (60.2%) to Grant's 10,997 votes (39.8%).[17]

In the November general elections, Kennedy (who ran on the Democratic, Working Families, and Independence ballot lines) defeated Ricky T. Donovan, Sr. (who ran on the Republican and Conservative ballot lines). Out of 59,094 total votes, Kennedy received 42,278 (71.5%), while Donovan received 11,973 (20.3%).[18]

2016 election

In the 2016 general election, Kennedy ran unopposed, on the Democratic, Working Families, Independence, and Women's Equality ballot lines and received 89,650 votes.[19]

Tenure in office

As of 2017, Kennedy was the ranking member of the Infrastructure and Capital Investment and Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business committees, and a member of the Energy and Telecommunications; Finance; Insurance; State-Native American Relations; Banks; Transportation; Cultural Affairs; Tourism, Parks and Recreation; and Rules committees.[2]

In June 2013, Kennedy stated that he was undecided in regard to Governor Andrew Cuomo's Women's Equality Act (WEA), saying: "I am pro-life, but I am not an extremist. And I believe that when it comes to the life and health of a mother, there are circumstances, unfortunately, (in which) individuals have to make very difficult decisions that have an impact on their lives... And so that brings me toward the middle on the issue; I suppose it does."[20] That month, Kennedy voted in favor of a WEA amendment that would have allowed late-term abortions based upon women's health. The amendment failed to pass.[21]

In June 2011, Kennedy voted "yes" on the Marriage Equality Act, which legalized same-sex marriage in New York.[22] The bill was signed into law by Governor Cuomo.[23]

In 2012, Kennedy introduced a package of four bills to combat the opioid epidemic in New York. One of the bills would create a prescription-monitoring system for physicians and pharmacists to track the prescription of narcotic painkillers. This proposal was made by New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.[24]

In 2013, Kennedy co-sponsored legislation to increase the state minimum wage to $9 an hour, and automatically adjust the minimum wage to account for cost-of-living increases.[25]

In 2014, Kennedy introduced legislation that would limit the state's legal immunity for claims for damages. The legislation would specifically amend Section 58 of the State Highway Law, which immunizes the state from "liability for damages arising from defects in its highways" during cold-weather months. The bill proposed by Kennedy "would allow motorists to seek damages from the state for 'egregious or unreasonable' defects year-round or when it was given prior notice of a defect."[26] State Assemblyman Thomas J. Abinanti filed companion legislation in the State Assembly.[26]

Kennedy was a supporter of the legalization of mixed martial arts (MMA) in New York, which at the time was the only U.S. state to bar MMA events.[27] Kennedy argued that MMA could economically benefit Western New York, with events at First Niagara Center in Buffalo benefiting local businesses.[28] The legal status of MMA had been a state political issue for years; the state Senate passed legalization legislation seven times over six years, but the bills were not taken up by the State Assembly. Kennedy expressed disappointment at the failure to pass the legislation in 2015,[27] and welcomed passage of MMA legislation in 2016.[28]

Kennedy is a supporter of legalizing ride-hailing services such as Uber, saying in 2017 that it was "embarrassing" that Buffalo is the largest city in the U.S. that did not allow such services.[29]

Personal life

Kennedy lives in South Buffalo with his wife, Katie, and his three children.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Senators & Committees". NY State Senate. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Timothy M. Kennedy's Biography". New York State Senate.
  3. 1 2 3 Watson, Stephen T. (August 13, 2010). "Stachowski, Kennedy lead field in Democratic State Senate primary". Buffalo News.
  4. ↑ Matthew Spina, Kennedy making exit from Legislature; Supports Whalen as his successor, Buffalo News (December 9, 2010).
  5. 1 2 Schindler, Paul (2010-08-03). "Top Gay Groups See Choice in Buffalo". Gay City News. Archived from the original on 2013-01-19.
  6. ↑ Jimmy Vielkin, Kennedy, the non-Stachowski, Albany Times Union (September 14, 2010).
  7. 1 2 Stephen T. Watson, Kennedy wrests nod from Stachowski, Buffalo News (September 15, 2010).
  8. ↑ Splits Among Gay Political Activists Rankle Efforts To Flip Seats, The Capitol (October 18, 2010).
  9. ↑ Julie Bolcer, Antigay Democrat defeated by Tim Kennedy, The Advocate (September 14, 2010).
  10. ↑ Matt Krueger, Kennedy ousts Stachowski, Cheektowaga Bee (September 19, 2010).
  11. ↑ "New York State Legislature - Election Results 2010". The New York Times.
  12. ↑ Staff (October 5, 2010). "Stachowski presence hinders Kennedy". Buffalo News.
  13. ↑ Nancy A. Fischer, Betty Jean Grant makes it official: She's running for mayor, Buffalo News (April 23, 2017).
  14. ↑ "2012 Election Results: New York State Legislature". The New York Times.
  15. 1 2 Robert J. McCarthy, Kennedy defeats Grant for second time, Buffalo News (September 9, 2014).
  16. 1 2 Susan Schulman, Kennedy-Grant Senate race gains attention, cash from outside groups, Buffalo News (September 6, 2014).
  17. ↑ 2014 state and Local Primary Election Results: Senate 63rd - Democratic, New York State Board of Elections (September 9, 2014).
  18. ↑ Senate Election Returns November 4, 2014, New York State Board of Elections, p. 14.
  19. ↑ Senate Election Returns November 8, 2016, New York State Board of Elections, p. 35.
  20. ↑ "I am pro-life but I am not an extremist, The Journal News (June 11, 2013).
  21. ↑ Jon Campbell, By 1 vote, Senate blocks amendment on abortion, The Journal News (June 21, 2013).
  22. ↑ Grisanti vote helps gay marriage bill pass, Associated Press (June 24, 2011).
  23. ↑ Nicholas Confessore & Michael Barbaro, New York Allows Same-Sex Marriage, Becoming Largest State to Pass Law, New York Times (June 25, 2011).
  24. ↑ N. R. Kleinfeld, Oxycodone Prescriptions Rose Sharply in New York, New York Times (January 11, 2012).
  25. ↑ Matt Glynn, Minimum wage rally frames proposed increase in human terms, Buffalo News (February 25, 2013).
  26. 1 2 Sam Roberts, Taking On a Pothole Law: In Winter, New York State Rejects Drivers' Claims, New York Times (April 29, 2014).
  27. 1 2 Joseph Spector, MMA bill will wait until next year, Journal News (June 26, 2015).
  28. 1 2 Avery Schneider, MMA and its possible economic benefits get one step closer to being legal in New York, again, WBFO (January 26, 2016).
  29. ↑ You bet your app: Ride hailing upstate may debut by July 4, Buffalo News (April 8, 2017).
Political offices
Preceded by
Mark J. F. Schroeder		 Erie County, New York Legislator, 2nd District
2004—2011		 Succeeded by
Timothy J. Whalen
New York State Senate
Preceded by
William Stachowski		 New York State Senator, 58th District
2011—2013		 Succeeded by
Tom O'Mara
Preceded by
District established		 New York State Senator, 63rd District
2013—present		 Succeeded by
incumbent
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