Paul David Tonko ( ; born June 18, 1949) is an American politician serving as the
U.S. representative for since 2013. He represented the
21st congressional district from 2009 to 2013. A member of the
Democratic Party, Tonko has been called a staunch progressive. After the 2020 redistricting cycle and effective for the
118th Congress, the 20th district will include all of
Albany,
Saratoga and
Schenectady Counties as well as part of
Rensselaer County.
From 1983 to 2007, Tonko represented the 105th district in the
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits.
The Ass ...
. He was appointed to serve as president and CEO of the
New 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 the
House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment in the
119th Congress. Since 2013, he has been the highest-ranking Democrat on the panel, which authorizes, oversees and investigates the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Early life, education and early career
Tonko is a lifelong resident of
Amsterdam, New York, near
Schenectady, and is of primarily Polish descent. He graduated from Amsterdam's Wilbur H. Lynch High School in 1967, and received a degree in
mechanical and
industrial engineering
Industrial engineering (IE) is concerned with the design, improvement and installation of integrated systems of people, materials, information, equipment and energy. It draws upon specialized knowledge and skill in the mathematical, physical, an ...
from
Clarkson University in
Potsdam, New York in 1971.
An engineer for the
New York Public Service Commission, Tonko became active in local politics in the early 1970s and successfully ran for the
Montgomery County Board of Supervisors. He was a member of the board from 1976 to 1983,
and the board's chairman from 1981 to 1983. Tonko was the youngest person in county history to be elected to the board of supervisors.
New York State Assembly (1983–2007)
In January 1983, Assemblywoman
Gail S. Shaffer resigned her 105th district seat to take office as
Secretary of State of New York. The Democratic Party, as well as the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world.
The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
, nominated Tonko to contest an April 12 special election for the seat against former
Schoharie County Clerk Eugene Hallock, the Republican and
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
nominee. Tonko defeated Hallock in a close race. Tonko was reelected 13 times, serving in the Assembly until 2007.
While in the Assembly, Tonko served as chair of the Energy Committee from 1992 until his departure from the Assembly in 2007. 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.
Tonko sponsored Timothy's Law, a 2006 law that requires health insurers to cover mental health treatment. He also sponsored the
Northeast Dairy Compact,
and chaired the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources,
Tonko resigned his Assembly seat in June 2007 to become President and CEO of the
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
U.S. House of Representatives (2009–present)
Elections
2008
On April 25, 2008, Tonko stepped down from his position at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority after ten-term Democratic Congressman
Michael McNulty announced his upcoming retirement from Congress. He subsequently entered the race to succeed McNulty in the 21st district. Tonko won the Democratic primary on September 9, defeating four other candidates.
In the November 4 general election, Tonko defeated Republican Schenectady County Legislator James Buhrmaster by a decisive margin. According to the ''Times 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.
[Standforth, Lauren, and Carol Demare, "Tonko cruises to win in 21st Congressional District: Democrat goes to D.C. with handy win over Buhrmaster", November 5, 2008, found a]
Election coverage
. Retrieved November 5, 2008. 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.
2010–present
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.
[Race profile](_blank)
at ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''. Accessed December 20, 2010. ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' rated the seat "Solid Democratic", with a "99.8%" to "100% chance" that Tonko would win.
The major issues in the 2010 race were Tonko's votes for
Obamacare, the Stimulus Package (
ARRA), and the Energy Bill.
The ''
Albany 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. Tonko won the November 2 general election, 124,889 votes to 85,752.
Redistricting saw Tonko's district renumbered the 20th district. It lost much of its more rural territory to the west. To make up for the loss in population, it was pushed further into
Saratoga County. The new 20th was no less Democratic than the old 21st, and Tonko defeated Bob Dieterich in 2012, Jim Fischer in 2014, and Joe Vitollo in 2016 and 2018. He defeated Liz Joy in 2020 and 2022. He defeated Kevin Waltz in 2024.
Tenure
Tonko was one of the 19 most liberal House members, according to the ''
National Journal'', for 2011. He voted with President
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
's stated position 100% of the time in the
117th Congress, according to a ''
FiveThirtyEight'' analysis.
When he entered Congress, Tonko said he wanted to focus on the issue he said he knows best—energy policy.
He sponsored a bill to create an $800 million research program in
wind energy technologies, which would benefit
GE in his district. He also wanted to create a research program to improve the efficiency of
gas turbines used in power generation systems that convert heat into energy. In 2010, Tonko got a provision in a House-passed bill, following the
BP 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 the
Environmental Protection Agency's authority to regulate carbon emissions.
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".
He has also often warned of the threat that Obamacare's repeal would pose to small businesses, young people, and seniors.
Tonko has worked to raise awareness about the region's waterways, chiefly the
Hudson and
Mohawk rivers, and the effects of flooding after
Hurricane Irene. Seeking a comprehensive flood mitigation and economic development strategy, Tonko introduced the Hudson-Mohawk Basin Act in 2012.
Tonko became a prominent opponent of the
Trans 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.
In 2017, Tonko was one of three Catholic politicians whom Bishop
Edward Bernard Scharfenberger of Albany publicly rebuked for participating in a rally supporting
Planned Parenthood.
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.
On October 1, 2020, Tonko co-signed a letter to Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo
Michael Richard Pompeo (; born December 30, 1963) is an American retired politician who served in the First presidency of Donald Trump#Administration, first administration of Donald Trump as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) fr ...
that condemned
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
’s offensive operations against the
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...
-populated enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh, denounced
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
’s role in the
Nagorno-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."
In 2022, Tonko was instrumental in passing provisions contained in the
CHIPS and Science ActPL 117-167 into law.
Syria
In 2023, Tonko was among 56 Democrats to vote in favor of H. Con. Res. 21, which directed President
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
to remove U.S. troops from
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
within 180 days.
Committee assignments
*
Committee on Energy and Commerce
**
Subcommittee on Environment (Ranking Member)
**
Subcommittee on Energy
**
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
*
Committee on the Budget
Caucus memberships
Tonko is a member of more than 65 House caucuses. Below is a small sample of his memberships:
*
Congressional Progressive Caucus
*
Congressional Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus (Vice Chair)
* Congressional Caucus on Parkinson's Disease
* Bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's disease
* Congressional Army Caucus
*
Congressional Arts Caucus
*
Congressional Biomass Caucus
* Heritage Corridor Caucus
* Congressional Safe Climate Caucus
*
Congressional Solar Caucus
* Congressional Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Equality Caucus
* Congressional Mental Health Caucus
* Congressional Voting Rights Caucus
* House Manufacturing Caucus
* House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus
*
House Baltic Caucus
*
Medicare for All Caucus
*
Blue Collar Caucus
*
Rare Disease Caucus
*
Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans
Electoral history
U.S. House of Representatives
See also
*
Energy law
References
External links
Congressman Paul D. Tonkoofficial U.S. House website
Paul Tonko for Congress
*
, -
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tonko, Paul D.
1949 births
American Roman Catholics
American politicians of Polish descent
Catholic politicians from New York (state)
Clarkson University alumni
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
Living people
Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly
People from Amsterdam, New York
21st-century Roman Catholics
21st-century members of the New York State Legislature
21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives
20th-century members of the New York State Legislature