Kathy Konst
Kathy Konst is a legislator in western New York state, currently representing Erie County's 5th District, and was also a candidate for the 59th Senate District in the 2008 General Election.
Issue positions
One of Konst's main advocacy issues is government reform, particularly term limits for state and local officials, and balancing the budget of Erie County, which was in a financial crisis in 2005. As chair of the Finance and Management Committe, she opposed the siphoning off of money from the Upstate Revitalization Fund to pay for projects in New York City.
Children and seniors issues are also heavily emphasized, ranging from education and lead-poisoning prevention to heating and energy assistance for low-income families and the elderly.
Prior to being elected, Konst had pursued both teaching and ownership of an advertising business. She is currently head of The Lancaster Area Chamber of Commerce, in addition to her legislative responsibilities.
Electoral history
Konst was first elected to the Erie County legislature in 2005, in an upset victory against incumbent Denise Marshall, and won reelection in 2007.
In the 2008 state senate race, she defeated Tim Pawarski in the Democratic primary by margins greater than three to one, despite the latter's endorsement by the party machine. She went on to face incumbent Dale Volker in the general election on November 4, losing by a 56 to 44 margin. The 59th Senate District was, along with many other upstate Senate districts, targeted in the last several days of the campaign with illegal robocalls misinforming voters AbOUT candidate endorsements and tying Republican candidates to the highly popular Senator Barack Obama.