Paul Tonko | |
|---|---|
 Official Portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Michael McNulty |
| Constituency | 21st district (2009–2013) 20th district (2013–present) |
| Member of theNew York State Assembly from the 105th district | |
| In office April 1983 – June 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Gail S. Shaffer |
| Succeeded by | George A. Amedore Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1949-06-18)June 18, 1949 (age 76) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Clarkson University (BS) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Paul David Tonko (/ˈtɒŋkoʊ/TONK-oh; born June 18, 1949) is an American politician serving as theU.S. representative forNew York's 20th congressional district since 2013. He represented the21st congressional district from 2009 to 2013. A member of theDemocratic Party, Tonko has been called a staunch progressive.[1] After the 2020 redistricting cycle and effective for the118th Congress, the 20th district will include all ofAlbany,Saratoga, andSchenectady Counties as well as part ofRensselaer County.
From 1983 to 2007, Tonko represented the 105th district in theNew York State Assembly. He was appointed to serve as president and CEO of theNew York State Energy Research and Development Authority from 2007 until his resignation in April 2008. Soon afterward, he declared his candidacy for Congress, and was elected in November 2008.
Tonko is the ranking member of theHouse Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment in the119th Congress. Since 2013, he has been the highest-ranking Democrat on the panel, which authorizes, oversees and investigates theEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Tonko is a lifelong resident ofAmsterdam, New York, nearSchenectady, and is of primarily Polish descent.[2] He graduated from Amsterdam's Wilbur H. Lynch High School in 1967, and received aBachelor of Science degree inmechanical andindustrial engineering fromClarkson University inPotsdam, New York in 1971.[3]
An engineer for theNew York Public Service Commission, Tonko became active in local politics in the early 1970s and successfully ran for theMontgomery County Board of Supervisors. He was a member of the board from 1976 to 1983,[4] and the board's chairman from 1981 to 1983.[5] Tonko was the youngest person in county history to be elected to the board of supervisors.[6]
In January 1983, AssemblywomanGail S. Shaffer resigned her 105th district seat to take office asSecretary of State of New York. The Democratic Party, as well as theLiberal Party, nominated Tonko to contest an April 12 special election for the seat against formerSchoharie County Clerk Eugene Hallock, the Republican andConservative nominee. Tonko defeated Hallock in a close race.[7][8] Tonko was reelected 13 times, serving in the Assembly until 2007.[9]
While in the Assembly, Tonko served as chair of the Energy Committee from 1992 until his departure from the Assembly in 2007.[10] He was also a member of standing committees on Agriculture, Transportation and Education, where he was the original sponsor and a chief proponent of the College Tuition Savings Program that was signed into law in 1997.[11]
Tonko sponsored Timothy's Law,[12] a 2006 law that requires health insurers to cover mental health treatment.[13] He also sponsored theNortheast Dairy Compact,[14] and chaired the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources,[15]
Tonko resigned his Assembly seat in June 2007 to become President and CEO of theNew York State Energy Research and Development Authority.[4]
On April 25, 2008, Tonko stepped down from his position at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority after ten-term Democratic CongressmanMichael McNulty announced his upcoming retirement from Congress.[16] He subsequently entered the race to succeed McNulty in the 21st district.[17] Tonko won the Democratic primary on September 9, defeating four other candidates.[18]
In the November 4 general election, Tonko defeated Republican Schenectady County Legislator James Buhrmaster by a decisive margin.[19] According to theTimes Union, "Tonko's name recognition ... accomplishment in the Legislature, such as the passage of mental health parity legislation, and his record" contributed to his win.[20] He had effectively clinched a seat in Congress in the primary; the 21st had long been the only safe Democratic district in the state outside the New York City, Buffalo and Rochester areas.
Tonko ran for reelection on the Democratic, Working Families and Independence Party lines. He was challenged by Republican and Conservative Party nominee Ted Danz, a former United States Navy Reservist and small business owner in the cooling and heating business. Tonko raised almost $980,000, and spent almost $780,000 on his campaign; Danz raised about $44,000 and spent about $42,000 on his campaign.[21][22]The New York Times rated the seat "Solid Democratic", with a "99.8%" to "100% chance" that Tonko would win.[22] The major issues in the 2010 race were Tonko's votes forObamacare, the Stimulus Package (ARRA), and the Energy Bill.[22] TheAlbany Times Union endorsed Tonko, citing "a way of thinking and speaking like the engineer that he once was" and his support of the economic stimulus bill and health care bills.[23] Tonko won the November 2 general election, 124,889 votes to 85,752.
Redistricting saw Tonko's district renumbered the 20th district.[24] It lost much of its more rural territory to the west. To make up for the loss in population, it was pushed further intoSaratoga County. The new 20th was no less Democratic than the old 21st, and Tonko defeated Bob Dieterich in 2012,[25] Jim Fischer in 2014,[26] and Joe Vitollo in 2016[27] and 2018.[28] He defeated Liz Joy in 2020 and 2022.[29] He defeated Kevin Waltz in 2024.
Tonko was one of the 19 most liberal House members, according to theNational Journal, for 2011.[30] He voted with PresidentJoe Biden's stated position 100% of the time in the117th Congress, according to aFiveThirtyEight analysis.
When he entered Congress, Tonko said he wanted to focus on the issue he said he knows best—energy policy.[32] He sponsored a bill to create an $800 million research program inwind energy technologies, which would benefitGE in his district. He also wanted to create a research program to improve the efficiency ofgas turbines used in power generation systems that convert heat into energy. In 2010, Tonko got a provision in a House-passed bill, following theBP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, to prevent future spills and help small businesses in spill research. In 2011, he sponsored an amendment seeking to protect theEnvironmental Protection Agency's authority to regulate carbon emissions.[33]
Tonko praised the 2011 State of the Union address, saying, "the President set out a bold agenda for our nation, an agenda that will focus on growing our economy, growing jobs, and growing opportunity for the middle class".[34] He has also often warned of the threat that Obamacare's repeal would pose to small businesses, young people, and seniors.[35]
Tonko has worked to raise awareness about the region's waterways, chiefly theHudson andMohawk rivers, and the effects of flooding afterHurricane Irene. Seeking a comprehensive flood mitigation and economic development strategy, Tonko introduced the Hudson-Mohawk Basin Act in 2012.[36]
Tonko became a prominent opponent of theTrans Pacific Partnership (TPP) in 2015, citing American trade deficits and the use of child labor by at least four countries that had already signed the pact as among his reasons for opposing the deal.[37]
In 2017, Tonko was one of three Catholic politicians whom BishopEdward Bernard Scharfenberger of Albany publicly rebuked for participating in a rally supportingPlanned Parenthood.[38]
In January 2019, Tonko—a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee—was named chair of that committee's Subcommittee on the Environment and Climate Change.[39]
On October 1, 2020, Tonko co-signed a letter to Secretary of StateMike Pompeo that condemnedAzerbaijan’s offensive operations against theArmenian-populated enclave ofNagorno-Karabakh, denouncedTurkey’s role in theNagorno-Karabakh conflict, and criticized "false equivalence between Armenia and Azerbaijan, even as the latter threatens war and refuses to agree to monitoring along the line of contact."[40]
In 2022, Tonko was instrumental in passing provisions contained in theCHIPS and Science Act (PL 117-167) into law.[41]
In 2023, Tonko was among 56 Democrats to vote in favor of H. Con. Res. 21, which directed PresidentJoe Biden to remove U.S. troops fromSyria within 180 days.[42][43]
Tonko is a member of more than 65 House caucuses. Below is a small sample of his memberships:
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Paul Tonko | 15,932 | 39.50% | |
| Democratic | Tracey Brooks | 12,166 | 30.16% | |
| Democratic | Phillip Steck | 7,498 | 18.59% | |
| Democratic | Darius Shahinfar | 4,002 | 9.92% | |
| Democratic | Joseph Sullivan | 738 | 1.83% | |
| Total votes | 40,336 | 100 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Paul Tonko | 159,849 | 57.94% | |
| Working Families | Paul Tonko | 11,437 | 4.15% | |
| Total | Paul Tonko | 171,286 | 62.09% | |
| Republican | Jim Buhrmaster | 85,267 | 30.91% | |
| Conservative | Jim Buhrmaster | 11,332 | 4.11% | |
| Total | Jim Buhrmaster | 96,599 | 35.02% | |
| Independence | Phil Steck | 7,965 | 2.89% | |
| Write-in | 22 | 0.01% | ||
| Total votes | 275,872 | 100 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Paul Tonko | 107,136 | 50.83% | |
| Independence | Paul Tonko | 9,625 | 4.57% | |
| Working Families | Paul Tonko | 8,128 | 3.86% | |
| Total | Paul Tonko (incumbent) | 124,889 | 59.25% | |
| Republican | Ted Danz | 70,211 | 33.31% | |
| Conservative | Ted Danz | 15,541 | 7.37% | |
| Total | Ted Danz | 85,752 | 40.68% | |
| Write-in | 150 | 0.07% | ||
| Total votes | 210,791 | 100 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Paul Tonko | 181,093 | 60.91% | |
| Working Families | Paul Tonko | 12,017 | 4.04% | |
| Independence | Paul Tonko | 10,291 | 3.46% | |
| Total | Paul Tonko (incumbent) | 203,401 | 68.41% | |
| Republican | Robert Dieterich | 79,102 | 26.61% | |
| Conservative | Robert Dieterich | 14,676 | 4.94% | |
| Total | Robert Dieterich | 93,778 | 31.54% | |
| Write-in | 135 | 0.05% | ||
| Total votes | 297,314 | 100 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Paul Tonko | 103,437 | 50.62% | |
| Working Families | Paul Tonko | 11,285 | 5.52% | |
| Independence | Paul Tonko | 10,389 | 5.08% | |
| Total | Paul Tonko (incumbent) | 125,111 | 61.23% | |
| Republican | James Fischer | 61,820 | 30.26% | |
| Conservative | James Fischer | 17,284 | 8.46% | |
| Total | James Fischer | 79,104 | 38.71% | |
| Write-in | 114 | 0.06% | ||
| Total votes | 204,329 | 100 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Paul Tonko | 188,426 | 60.02% | |
| Working Families | Paul Tonko | 10,929 | 3.48% | |
| Independence | Paul Tonko | 10,626 | 3.38% | |
| Women's Equality | Paul Tonko | 3,037 | 0.97% | |
| Total | Paul Tonko (incumbent) | 213,018 | 67.85% | |
| Republican | Joe Vitollo | 83,321 | 26.54% | |
| Conservative | Joe Vitollo | 15,911 | 5.07% | |
| Reform | Joe Vitollo | 1,508 | 0.48% | |
| Total | Joe Vitollo | 100,740 | 32.09% | |
| Write-in | 181 | 0.06% | ||
| Total votes | 313,939 | 100 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Paul Tonko | 161,330 | 60.65% | |
| Working Families | Paul Tonko | 10,129 | 3.81% | |
| Women's Equality | Paul Tonko | 3,712 | 1.40% | |
| Reform | Paul Tonko | 1,640 | 0.62% | |
| Total | Paul Tonko (incumbent) | 176,811 | 66.47% | |
| Republican | Joe Vitollo | 89,058 | 33.48% | |
| Write-in | 145 | 0.05% | ||
| Total votes | 266,014 | 100 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Paul Tonko | 194,071 | 54.01% | |
| Working Families | Paul Tonko | 19,678 | 5.48% | |
| Independence | Paul Tonko | 5,956 | 1.66% | |
| Total | Paul Tonko (incumbent) | 219,705 | 61.14% | |
| Republican | Liz Joy | 120,839 | 33.63% | |
| Conservative | Liz Joy | 17,849 | 4.97% | |
| SAM | Liz Joy | 758 | 0.21% | |
| Total | Liz Joy | 139,446 | 38.81% | |
| Write-in | 191 | 0.05% | ||
| Total votes | 359,342 | 100 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Paul Tonko (incumbent) | 18,251 | 88.28% | |
| Democratic | Rostov Rar | 2,422 | 11.72% | |
| Total votes | 20,673 | 100 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Paul Tonko | 145,928 | 50.07% | |
| Working Families | Paul Tonko | 14,492 | 4.97% | |
| Total | Paul Tonko (incumbent) | 160,420 | 55.05% | |
| Republican | Liz Joy | 110,903 | 38.05% | |
| Conservative | Liz Joy | 19,966 | 6.85% | |
| Total | Liz Joy | 130,869 | 44.91% | |
| Write-in | 144 | 0.05% | ||
| Total votes | 291,433 | 100 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Paul Tonko | 200,354 | 55.13% | |
| Working Families | Paul Tonko | 21,643 | 5.95% | |
| Total | Paul Tonko (incumbent) | 221,997 | 61.08% | |
| Republican | Kevin Waltz | 121,609 | 33.46% | |
| Conservative | Kevin Waltz | 19,542 | 5.38% | |
| Total | Kevin Waltz | 141,151 | 38.84% | |
| Write-in | 297 | 0.08% | ||
| Total votes | 363,445 | 100 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 21st congressional district 2009–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 20th congressional district 2013–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 72nd | Succeeded by |
