VoterLens
New York State Assembly District 146
University of Buffalo—undergraduate degree and law degree
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Karen McMahon was elected in November 2018 to represent New York State Assembly District 146, which includes Amherst and Williamsville in Erie County. She worked for nearly 30 years as a confidential law clerk to judges of the New York State Appellate Division, Fourth Department, and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. After retiring from federal service in 2016, she joined her husband's private law practice representing parents of students with disabilities in special education cases.
Committee Assignments: Chair, Committee on Ethics and Guidance · Co-Chair, Commission on Legislative Ethics · Member, Committee on Environmental Conservation · Member, Committee on Higher Education · Member, Committee on Judiciary · Member, Committee on Libraries and Education Technology · Member, Committee on People with Disabilities · Member, Committee on Transportation · Member, Legislative Women's Caucus · Member, Task Force on Women's Issues · Member, Task Force on Food, Farm & Nutrition Policy · Member, Task Force on New York Canada Relations
Karen McMahon identifies affordable health care as one of her priorities and has taken health-related actions in the Assembly on reproductive health coverage, patient and resident safety, substance-use emergency transparency, and benefits for volunteer ambulance workers. Her record reflects support for broader health access and targeted public-health protections for families, students, seniors, and first responders.
Specific Actions & Proposals
McMahon requested Department of Health action and continued monitoring after deficiencies were identified at Comprehensive Rehab of Williamsville, including conditions affecting resident health and safety.
SourceKaren McMahon emphasizes job growth in Western New York, support for organized labor and economic security for working families, and targeted state investments that she says will strengthen local businesses, workforce development, infrastructure, and emerging industries such as AI.
Specific Actions & Proposals
McMahon supported the FY 2024-2025 budget investment of $250 million to establish Empire AI at the University at Buffalo, describing it as a catalyst for significant growth in the university and Western New York community while the program includes job-creation and small-business partnership reporting requirements.
SourceMcMahon states that she supports organized labor, fair labor standards, a livable wage, the right to organize and collectively bargain, and economic security for working families.
SourceKaren McMahon frames immigration as integral to Western New York and says reform should expand lawful pathways to citizenship, strengthen Temporary Protected Status, and pair logistics with compassion. She supports state-level limits on ICE involvement by state and local resources while Congress addresses broader federal immigration reform.
Specific Actions & Proposals
McMahon identified the New York for All Act as a proposal to ensure state and local resources are not used to facilitate federal immigration enforcement and argued that residents should be able to report crimes, seek care, and send children to school without fear of detention or deportation.
SourceMcMahon said Governor Hochul's Local Cops, Local Crimes Act would reinforce that local police should address public safety concerns rather than be drawn into federal immigration operations.
SourceMcMahon said Albany was considering proposals to set clear boundaries on ICE activity; A10175 would prohibit ICE enforcement within 1,000 feet of sensitive locations unless officers provide a valid judicial warrant.
SourceMcMahon broadly backed legislative efforts to set boundaries on ICE activity, and A08994 would require police and peace officers to have a lawful order before assisting with federal immigration enforcement and require federal agents to identify themselves on request.
SourceKaren McMahon supports climate action, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and reduced reliance on fossil fuels. As the sitting Democratic Assemblymember for New York Assembly District 146, she has sponsored clean-energy and emissions-related legislation and publicly defended New York climate policies such as all-electric new-building requirements.
Specific Actions & Proposals
McMahon supported the All-Electric Building Act as a measure to replace fossil-fuel heat and appliances in most new buildings, reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, and improve energy efficiency.
SourceMcMahon supported proposed state budget investments including $50 million to reduce New York State's carbon footprint, $500 million for clean water infrastructure, and $400 million for the Environmental Protection Fund.
SourceKaren McMahon, the Democratic Assemblymember for New York State Assembly District 146, identifies quality public education as a priority and emphasizes support for students with disabilities based on her prior legal work in special education cases. Her education-related record includes co-sponsoring measures on teacher evaluations and dyslexia interventions, sponsoring disability-information legislation with educational components, and prime-sponsoring school food purchasing legislation.
Specific Actions & Proposals
McMahon's official Assembly biography lists quality public education among her priorities and notes her background representing parents of students with disabilities in special education cases.
SourceKaren McMahon frames public safety as a combination of gun-safety regulation, emergency-response capacity, and keeping local policing focused on community safety. As the Democratic Assemblymember for New York Assembly District 146, she has supported firearm restrictions, emergency communications infrastructure, volunteer first-responder recruitment, and limits on using local resources for federal immigration enforcement.
Specific Actions & Proposals
McMahon said she helped pass a package of laws expanding ERPO petitions, requiring police and district attorneys to seek ERPOs when credible danger information exists, reporting recovered guns to a national database, raising the semiautomatic-rifle purchase age to 21, restricting high-capacity magazines and body-armor sales, and adding social-media violent-extremism measures.
SourceMcMahon expressed support for proposals such as the New York for All Act and Governor Hochul’s Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, saying local police should focus on public safety concerns rather than federal immigration operations.
SourceNew York State Assembly
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=146&sh=bioFetched: biography, location, education, background
MyRepTracker
https://www.myreptracker.com/new-york/legislators/ny-house-146-karen-mcmahon/voting-recordFetched: votingRecord
Transparency USA
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/karen-m-mcmahonFetched: campaignFinance
Karen McMahon for New York State Assembly
https://www.mcmahonforassembly.com/endorsementsFetched: endorsements
New York League of Conservation Voters
https://www.nylcv.org/candidate/karen-mcmahon-2/Fetched: endorsements, ratings
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Action Fund
https://cdn.plannedparenthood.org/uploads/filer_public/26/6d/266d0543-0592-4409-8a8a-6767950ef0f1/candidate_ratings_assm_2022.pdfFetched: ratings
Environmental Advocates NY Action
https://eaaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-Scorecard-Assembly-edition.pdfFetched: ratings
The Freedom Index
https://thefreedomindex.org/ny/legislator/20257/votes/report-ny-scorecard-2025/pdf/scc/Fetched: ratings
Blue Voter Guide
https://bluevoterguide.org/district/NY/New_York_State_Assembly_District_146/51996/830Fetched: endorsements
New York State Assembly biography
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=146&sh=bioFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly sponsored legislation
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/?ad=146&sh=sponsorFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly press release - Beau’s Law
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/116057Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly press release - reproductive rights
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/84544Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly press release - volunteer ambulance workers benefits
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/92101Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate legislation page - A3789
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A3789Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly press release - Comprehensive Rehab of Williamsville
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/116962Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly member biography
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=146&sh=bioFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly sponsored legislation page
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/?ad=146&sh=sponsorFetched: issuePositions
BallotReady candidate profile
https://www.ballotready.org/people/karen-m-mcmahonFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly press release on Empire AI
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/110097Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly press release on Direct Support Professionals
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/108493Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Karen McMahon
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/116952Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill Search - A10175
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?Text=Y&bn=A10175&term=2025Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill Search - A08994
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?Actions=Y&Memo=Y&Summary=Y&Text=Y&Votes=Y&bn=A08994&term=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly biography for Karen McMahon
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=146&sh=bioFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly press release on McMahon solar energy bill
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/101780Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly press release on McMahon alternative fuels law
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/99250Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly press release on McMahon idling vehicles bill
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/101919Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly statement on All-Electric Building Act
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/115301Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Earth Day and environment statement
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/117850Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly sponsored legislation page
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/?ad=146&sh=sponsorFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly bill page for school food purchases
https://www.nyassembly.gov/leg/?bn=A00839&leg_video=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly bill page for dyslexia curricula
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?Actions=Y&Memo=Y&Text=Y&bn=A06209Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly press release on teacher evaluations
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/84563Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly press release on 2024 legislative session
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/111023Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Karen McMahon official member page
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahonFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Focusing on Gun Safety and Reproductive Rights to Protect New Yorkers
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/102865Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Bill to Improve Local Cell Service Signed into Law
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/115079Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - McMahon Bill to Increase Volunteer Firefighter Tax Credit Passes in Assembly
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/118215Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Legislature to Consider Proposals to Curb ICE Authority in NYS
https://www.assembly.ny.gov/mem/Karen-McMahon/story/116952Fetched: issuePositions