Timothy M Kennedy (politician)

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. His father works as Buffalo's commissioner of assessment and taxation. 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. He earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in occupational therapy from D'Youville College.

Career

Kennedy worked as an occupational therapist for eleven years. 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. 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. 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.

2010 election

In 2010, Kennedy challenged incumbent William Stachowski for the Democratic nomination for the 58th District in the New York State Senate. Kennedy also earned the endorsement of the Conservative Party, which had previously supported Stachowski. 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. Kennedy ultimately defeated Stachowski by a margin of 63%-26%. amid a wave of anti-incumbent voter sentiment.

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

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.

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

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. The race received much attention, with campaign spending by the candidates and outside groups surpassing $1 million. 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. Kennedy's base of support was South Buffalo, Lackawanna, and Cheektowaga, while Grant's base of support was Buffalo's East Side. Kennedy received 16,660 votes (60.2%) to Grant's 10,997 votes (39.8%).

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%).

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.

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.

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." 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.

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

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.

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.

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." State Assemblyman Thomas J. Abinanti filed companion legislation in the State Assembly.

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. Kennedy argued that MMA could economically benefit Western New York, with events at First Niagara Center in Buffalo benefiting local businesses. 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, and welcomed passage of MMA legislation in 2016.

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.

Personal life

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