Paul Tonko

Tonko was born in Amsterdam, New York in 1949. He earned a bachelor's degree in industrial and mechanical engineering from Clarkson University in 1971.[1][2] He previously worked as a public works engineer and state transportation agency employee. He previously served on Montgomery County's Board of Supervisors from 1976-1983, serving as chairman in 1981, and a member of the New York State Assembly from 1983-2007. From 2007 to 2008, Tonko served as president of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.[1]

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The following issues were listed on Tonko's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

Improving Healthcare: Access to affordable health care is critical to quality of life in the Capital Region and to the success of American small businesses trying to compete in a global market that gets larger every day. The Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010, is far from a perfect law. That is why we have to respond to challenges in our health care system and fix the parts of the ACA that don’t work while moving forward with the provisions that do.

Clean Energy Jobs: I first ran for Congress a few years ago because our nation had no clear comprehensive energy policy. I believe in an “all of the above” strategy for energy production that creates jobs, greens our environment, and decreases our crippling dependence on fossil fuels. But I also believe that energy efficiency should be our fuel of choice on the demand side.

When Women Succeed America Succeeds: We cannot get serious about supporting the American middle-class and those struggling to enter it without supporting women in the workplace. We must enact policies that guarantee fairness in equity along gender lines. From increasing the minimum wage, to ensuring equal pay for equal work, to providing paid leave for new mothers, Congress must step up to the plate and support our mothers, sisters, and daughters.

Expanding the Middle Class: As I meet with New Yorkers in communities across the Capital Region, the top concern I hear every day is jobs and the economy. Since the Great Recession, we have steadily been adding jobs, but we can do better. Republicans and Democrats in Washington must come together to work with private sector businesses to create quality American jobs. I support policies that re-shore manufacturing jobs, invest in infrastructure, and provide incentives to small businesses that encourage growth and expansion.

Budgeting Responsibly: Reducing our debt and annual deficits is a goal on which we can all agree, but we must allow our moral compass to be our guide in this endeavor and avoid short-sighted, irresponsible budgeting tactics that cost jobs and harm our nation’s most vulnerable citizens. In short, we cannot balance the budget on the backs of our seniors, veterans, and children.

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—Paul Tonko's campaign website (2016), http://paultonko.com/issues/