Kenneth LaValle

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Kenneth P. LaValle (born May 22, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York) is a former American politician who served as a Republican member of the New York State Senate, representing District 1 on Long Island’s East End and parts of central and eastern Brookhaven from January 1, 1977, to December 31, 2020. He was the longest-serving member of the New York Senate at the time of his retirement.

District 1 covers the East End towns of Long Island and parts of Brookhaven. LaValle earned a B.S. from Adelphi University (1961), an M.S. in Education from SUNY New Paltz (1964), and a J.D. from Touro College (1987). He is an attorney, admitted to the New York bar in 1993. He lives in Port Jefferson with his wife Penny and has two grown children.

LaValle first ran for the Senate in 1976 to replace retiring Senator Leon E. Giuffreda, defeating Barry McCoy with about 51% of the vote. Over the years, he faced few serious re-election challenges. In 2007, Gov. Eliot Spitzer appointed him to the New York State Commission on Higher Education. He also served on the National Council of State Legislatures’ Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education, helped develop the School Tax Relief (STAR) program, and authored the Pine Barrens Preservation Act in 1993. In 2011, he voted against the Marriage Equality Act, which legalized same-sex marriage in New York. The Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium at Stony Brook University is named after him. On January 10, 2020, LaValle announced he would not seek re-election. He was succeeded by Anthony Palumbo, with his term ending December 31, 2020.