Karen McMahon is a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly representing the 146th District, which includes the towns of Amherst and Pendleton, and the village of Williamsville in Erie County. Elected in November 2018, she defeated four-term Republican incumbent Ray Walter. Born March 18, 1960, in Buffalo, New York, she was raised in Snyder in a modest middle-class family as the eldest of five children; her father was a public high school guidance counselor. A lawyer with nearly 30 years as a confidential law clerk to judges in the New York State Appellate Division, Fourth Department, and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, she retired from federal service in 2016 and joined her husband, attorney Jeff Marcus, in private practice representing parents of students with disabilities. Her priorities include quality public education, affordable health care, job growth in Western New York, environmental protection, and combating climate change; she previously served on the Village of Williamsville Environmental Advisory Committee and Master Plan Revision Committee. Notable achievements include advocating for public libraries as a member of the Assembly Committee on Libraries and Technology, securing funding like $10,000 for AWE All-in-One Learning Stations at Amherst Public Libraries, and sponsoring resolutions such as proclaiming February 2026 as “Library Lover’s Month” in New York. She is a member of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York , Adirondack Mountain Club, and Adirondack Forty-Sixers.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Earned both her undergraduate degree and law degree from the University of Buffalo.
• Political Experience: Elected to the New York State Assembly in 2018 for the 146th District ; serves on committees including Libraries and Technology; active in local environmental and planning roles prior to election.