Kenneth LaValle

Kenneth P. LaValle (born May 22, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York[1]) is a former American politician. He represented District 1 in the New York State Senate. The district comprises the five East End towns of Long Island, New York, as well as the central and eastern portions of the Town of Brookhaven, New York.[2] A Republican, LaValle was first elected in 1976. He was the longest-serving member of the Senate[3] and has served more terms in office than any other current state senator in the United States.[4]

Kenneth P. LaValle
Member of the New York State Senate
from the 1st district
In office
January 1, 1977 – December 31, 2020
Preceded byLeon E. Giuffreda
Succeeded byAnthony Palumbo
Personal details
Born (1939-05-22) May 22, 1939
Brooklyn, New York
Political partyRepublican
SpousePenny LaValle
ResidencePort Jefferson, New York
Alma materAdelphi University (BS)
State University of New York at New Paltz (MS)
Touro College (JD)
Websitewww.nysenate.gov/senators/kenneth-p-lavalle

Early life, education, and family

Born in Brooklyn, LaValle graduated from Hempstead High School. He received a B.S degree from Adelphi University in 1961 and an M.S. in Education from the State University of New York at New Paltz (SUNY New Paltz) in 1964. He also received a Juris Doctor from the Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center in 1987. LaValle is an attorney; he was admitted to the New York bar in 1993.[5]

LaValle is the father of two grown children. He resides in Port Jefferson, New York, with his wife, Penny.[6]

New York Senate

LaValle first ran for the New York Senate in 1976 to succeed retiring Senator Leon E. Giuffreda. He defeated Democratic nominee Barry McCoy, a physicist, winning 51% of the vote. Since then, he has faced very few serious challenges in his re-election campaigns.[7][4]

In 2007, Gov. Eliot Spitzer appointed LaValle to the New York State Commission on Higher Education, which was charged with identifying ways of improving the quality of higher education in the State. LaValle also served on the National Council of State Legislatures’ Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education. He played a key role in the development of the School Tax Relief (STAR) program. He also authored the 1993 Pine Barrens Preservation Act.[5]

In 2011, LaValle voted against allowing same-sex marriage in New York during roll-call for the Marriage Equality Act,[8] which legalized same-sex marriage in the state.[9]

The Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium at Stony Brook University bears his name.[10]

On January 10, 2020, LaValle announced that he would not seek re-election to the Senate in 2020.[11] He was succeeded by Anthony Palumbo, and his term ended on December 31, 2020.[12]

References
  1. "Kenneth P. LaValle profile". VoteSmart.org. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  2. Civiletti, Denise (January 29, 2020). "Palumbo is running for State Senate".
  3. "LaValle won't seek reelection, ending 44-year Senate career". Newsday.
  4. "Staff: Sen. Ken LaValle will not seek re-election". Riverhead News Review. January 8, 2020.
  5. "Election 2010: State Senate candidate profiles". The Suffolk Times. October 25, 2010.
  6. "Biography from official Kenneth P. LaValle website". Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  7. "Our Campaigns - Candidate - Kenneth P. LaValle". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
  8. Johnston, Garth (June 24, 2011). "FINALLY: NY State Senate Passes Gay Marriage". Gothamist. New York Public Radio. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  9. Confessore, Nicholas; Barbaro, Michael (June 25, 2011). "New York Allows Same-Sex Marriage, Becoming Largest State to Pass Law". The New York Times. Section A. p. 1. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  10. "Stony Brook University - Official Athletic Site". Archived from the original on 2009-04-01. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  11. "State Sen. Kenneth LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) won't seek reelection". Newsday. 2020-01-08. Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  12. "Anthony Palumbo Declares Victory In Senate Race". North Fork, NY Patch. 2020-12-03. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
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