Senator Rich Funke is following in the footsteps of several other Republicans who, facing a future in the Senate minority, have opted to leave the chamber altogether.
Rich Funke
Posted inNews & Opinion
Midterm election brings change and caution
The 2018 midterms were volatile and contentious, and some sort of change was perhaps inevitable. Professional prognosticators said a Blue Wave would put Democrats in control of the House of Representatives, which it did. And Democrats in New York made good on predictions that they’d flip control of the state Senate. The power shifts in […]
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New York Senate races are part of a larger power struggle
Taxes, guns, education, abortion laws, economic development: Pick an issue, and the outcome of this year’s state Senate races will inevitably affect it. At stake in the November 6 elections is the Senate’s precarious power balance. Republicans and Democrats are basically fighting over who can win at least 32 seats, which would provide the edge […]
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Funke to face challenge from Penfield Democrat Lunsford
Jen Lunsford, an attorney who lives in Penfield, will try to unseat Republican State Senator Rich Funke. Lunsford, a Democrat, announced her candidacy for the 55th State Senate District seat this afternoon at Monroe County Democratic Committee headquarters. The seat covers parts of eastern Monroe County and western Ontario County, and though the registration in […]
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Advocates push again for ‘Raise the Age’
Jerry Ingram’s life could have unfolded differently than it has. When he was 17, he and his cousin were arrested in front of their Broward County, Florida, apartment and were hit with drug possession and distribution charges, Ingram says. And since there was a school nearby, the charges carried extra weight. Ingram ultimately received a […]
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Relich says Skelos should give up leadership post
Monroe County Republican Party chair Bill Reilich has joined the ranks of the state GOP leaders calling for Dean Skelos to resign his post as Senate majority leader. Earlier this week, federal prosecutors charged Skelos with conspiracy, extortion, wire fraud, and soliciting bribes. He’s accused of taking actions that would benefit two companies, as long […]
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No surprises out of Cuomo’s State of the State
The big questions heading into Governor Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State Address weren’t about what he was going to propose; he’d laid out most of his plans over the past week and a half. Rather, legislators questioned how Cuomo would pay for it all, and media types speculated on the speech’s tone. Much of […]
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O’Brien and Funke go on the attack at first debate
Rochester Rotary events are usually polite, cordial affairs. But today the organization hosted the first debate between Democratic State Senator Ted O’Brien and his opponent, Republican Rich Funke. And both candidates seemed to have the same strategy: go for the throat. Funke was up first for opening remarks, and he drew on his background as […]
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O’Brien has earned a second term
Even before Democratic State Senator Ted O’Brien had a challenger, New York politicos knew his re-election battle would be tough; he’s a freshman legislator in a competitive district, and Republicans were clear that they’d be gunning for the seat. Then Republican Rich Funke entered the race, and it virtually guaranteed that the 55th Senate District […]
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Siena Poll puts Funke well ahead of O’Brien in Senate race
Democrat Ted O’Brien is in jeopardy of losing his State Senate seat, if today’s Siena College Research Institute poll is to be believed. The poll gives Republican Rich Funke, the former local news and sports anchor who’s challenging O’Brien, a 25-point lead. For the poll, 471 likely voters in the 55th Senate District were surveyed […]
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O’Brien, environmental group push fracking legislation
New York has a de facto moratorium on high-volume hydraulic fracturing, but some of the state’s landfills and water treatment plants have been taking in out-of-state fracking wastes. Some local governments — none in Monroe County — have even used brine from fracked wells to de-ice roads. During a press conference this afternoon, Democratic State […]
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We have a casino glut!
“Casino Boom Pinches Northeastern States.” That was the headline on a Wall Street Journal story last week. There are now so many casinos and racetrack racinos in this region that their owners are pleading for help, the Journal said. And state governments are worrying as a big source of tax revenue shrinks. Really? And is […]
