Sen. Timothy M. Kennedy | New York 2017-2018

Phone: (518) 455-2426

Fax: (518) 426-6851

Office Address:
Legislative Office Building, Room 506
Albany, NY 12247

Committed to fighting for hardworking Western New Yorkers, Senator Tim Kennedy is focused on finding common ground solutions to build a stronger and more prosperous future in Western New York and across New York State.Born on October 20, 1976, Tim grew up in a blue-collar family in Buffalo. Tim’s parents, Marty and Mary Kennedy, raised Tim and his four siblings to work hard, focus on their education, help their neighbors and be involved in their community. Tim and his wife, Katie, live in the city of Buffalo where they are raising their three children, Connor, Eireann and Padraic.In January 2011, Tim was sworn into office as a New York State Senator representing Western New York. His district covers Cheektowaga, Lackawanna and most of the city of Buffalo.During his first year in the Senate, Tim has worked to deliver a series of reforms that Western New Yorkers have long awaited. To clean up Albany, the State Legislature approved comprehensive ethics reform legislation that creates a strong and independent commission to combat corruption. It also increases the disclosure of legislators’ outside incomes, and it will force politicians who are convicted of felonies to forfeit their pensions.Job creation and economic development have remained at the top of Tim’s priority list. He sponsored legislation to foster the growth of green jobs by developing a workforce for emerging clean technology industries. Tim also led his conference in pushing for the SUNY 2020 plan – which will spark the advancement of the University at Buffalo’s long-stalled UB 2020 vision.Tim also helped push the State Legislature to take steps to reduce the state’s property tax burden, starting with the passage of the property tax cap. Measures to provide mandate relief to local governments and school districts also passed.Tim continued the work he started in the County Legislature to combat distracted driving. After working with local advocate Kelly Cline to ban texting while driving in Erie County, Tim and Kelly again joined forces to take the fight back to Albany. They formed Families Against Texting While Driving, which played a significant role in getting the State Legislature to finally strengthen state law against texting while driving – making it primary violation.In 2004, at the age of 28, Tim took office as a county legislator, representing the Erie County Legislature’s Second District. A year later, Tim became the chairman of the legislature’s Economic Development Committee, earning a seat on the Board of Directors at the Erie County Industrial Development Agency.The Buffalo News, which recently described Tim as “a veritable cyclone of energy and ideas,” described his days in the County Legislature, saying, “If his Erie County Legislature career provides a guide, Timothy M. Kennedy would throw some elbows in the State Senate and scrap for his constituents. He would barter and agitate for whatever he can get for the folks back home.”With local roads and bridges aging, Tim has focused on making intelligent public investments in infrastructure to spark private sector investment and job growth. While Tim has helped trigger work that has been done throughout Erie County, his signature project has been the revitalization of South Park Avenue in South Buffalo. Collaborating with leaders from various levels of government, Tim found funding to bring new life to the once vibrant commercial strip. The investment in South Park Avenue has created construction jobs, generated private sector investment, improved pedestrian and motorist safety and brought new pride to the neighborhood.Starting in the County Legislature, Tim gained a reputation for taking a hands-on approach to job creation, working with business owners and community leaders to put Western New Yorkers to work. For example, Tim worked with Dave Sullivan, president and founder of Industrial Support Incorporated, a Buffalo-based manufacturing company, to connect him to the tools and resources he needed to expand his business and hire more workers. When President Barack Obama visited Western New York in May 2010, the president visited Industrial Support Incorporated to highlight the business as an example of job growth amid recession.As a resilient voice for the underrepresented, Tim has fought to protect vulnerable populations – such as seniors, children and the poor. When he learned it had been left out, Tim successfully spearheaded the push to include Buffalo Public School No. 84 in the school district’s renovation program. As a result, children with the most severe disabilities in Erie County will continue to receive the level of care and education that they deserve.Fighting to improve quality of life for Western New York seniors, Tim worked with community and governmental leaders to procure funds to transform the former Holy Family Elementary School into a senior apartment complex.Tim went to St. Martin’s Elementary School before attending St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute. He then received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in occupational therapy at D’Youville College.As he studied at D’Youville College, Tim began to truly understand the challenges facing Western New York. Recognizing that any challenge is an opportunity for a community to grow stronger, Tim was inspired to get involved in government to help move the community forward.As a licensed occupational therapist, Tim has spent his entire career working to help people. For 11 years, Tim worked with geriatric and pediatric populations to help them recover from injuries and fully participate in all life situations.

New York Sen. Timothy M. Kennedy

63rd district

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