John Mc Eneny - Political Career

Political Career

McEneny served as the first director of the New York State "Urban Cultural Parks" program from 1985 to 1989. He was the Deputy County Executive to Albany County Executive Jim Coyne from 1989 to 1991.

In his first election in 1991, McEneny won a write-in campaign for County Legislature.

After serving as chief of staff for state assemblyman Richard Conners for two years, Conners retired and McEneny ran for the position himself in 1992. He won a four-way primary for that seat in September 1992, and the general election that November. He was re-elected in 1994 and 1996.

In the 1997 primary, McEneny unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Mayor Gerald Jennings for the Democratic nomination for Mayor of the City of Albany.

The following year, Jennings supported the race of Albany County Legislator Gary Domalewicz in a primary election against McEneny. In September 1998, McEneny won with 75% of the primary vote. He has easily won re-election since, in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006.

In 2006, McEneny beat Jennings, this time in an election for New York State Democratic Committee. He was re-elected for a ninth term in November 2008, and a tenth in 2010, soundly defeating a "Tea Party" challenger.

McEneny has been criticized for collecting a pension in addition to his pay for being an Assembly member, but he defended it as legal and fair, based on his age of 66.