Two women with strong backgrounds in the judiciary system are on this year's Ballot for New York State Assembly's 146th District. It represents residents from Amherst up to Pendleton.
Karen McMahon (D)
Incumbent Karen McMahon, a Democrat, is a lawyer with 30 years of experience as a law clerk. She's wrapping up her first term in the assembly.
"It's a tremendous privilege and honor to represent my hometown," said McMahon.
Four of the bills she sponsored passed within the first year of her term. The most significant is the expansion of New York State's Equal Pay Act.
"It expanded the protections of the equal pay act to all protected classes of people, not just gender-based discrimination," McMahon said.
She also secured funding for infrastructure projects like Amherst Gateway Park and grants for volunteer firefighters. At the peak of the pandemic, McMahon says she and her staff members kept their boots on the ground within the district.
"We helped hundreds of constituents get unemployment benefits that they were entitled to, We distributed PPE. We helped people navigate the guidance that was coming out of the state.
If re-elected, McMahon says she plans to continue assisting residents through the pandemic and narrowing her focus on other platforms such as improved education, combating climate change, and access to healthcare.
"Keeping people insured and keeping healthcare affordable is important, too," said McMahon.
Robin Wolfgang (R, C, I)
Robin Wolfgang is the Republican, Conservative, and Independence candidate for the 146th District. It's Wolfgang's first run for office, but not her first experience with campaigning.
"My whole life, I have great examples and great role models of people giving back to the community. My mother has been a judge for 36 years. My first campaign with her was when I was 12 years old," said Wolfgang.
She was raised in Amherst and is the lead communications officer for Citibank in Western New York. Wolfgang's more than 30-year career includes public relations, government affairs, banking, and health care.
Safety and educational funding are a few key issues Wolfgang says she plans to focus on if elected.
"When I came back to Amherst and I've lived here for 13 years. It was the safest community in America. And I feel that it is slowly stripping away. I had great school districts and I feel that we had a lot of chaos in our school districts this past year," Wolfgang said.
She also wants to repeal bail reform.
"There were issues that they wanted to solve, but they took a blanket approach," she said. "We really need to give judges the discretion to decide if a criminal should be kept in jail."
She also wants to see an expansion of public transportation to suburbs and getting broadband to all communities.
She says it's time to restart the economy in New York to keep businesses and jobs in the area.
"I really feel like the downstate or New York City representation in Albany runs over this area. So I want to be a voice for us, for this community. I won't be wallpaper. I will stand up for the people in this area, and I really want to see that we get our fair share," said Wolfgang.