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Teresa R. Sayward (born 1944/1945)[1] was a member of the New York State Assembly for Willsboro (the 113th district), first elected in 2002. She is a Republican.[4]

Career

Sayward was a dairy farmer with her husband Ken for 16 years until 1988, when they sold their farm due it becoming unprofitable.[6] She has also worked as a real estate agent, an antiques dealer and as an interior decorator.[4] After leaving dairy farming she stood for election as the Republican candidate for town supervisor of Willsboro, winning on her second attempt in 1992.[1][4]

Political history

Sayward served as town supervisor for the Town of Willsboro for 11 years and as chairwoman of the Essex County Board of Supervisors.[4] She was awarded the title of "Outstanding Local Official" for 2002 by the Adirondack Park Local Government Review Board.[7]

Sayward was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2002, replacing Elizabeth Little (who ran for State Senate that year)[4] in a six-way contest in which she won 52% of the vote.[8] Sayward had narrowly beaten Thomas Scozzafava to the Republican nomination,[9] and he stood against her as a Conservative candidate.[10] Sayward spent $112,000 on the campaign.[11] In 2006 she became the secretary of the Assembly Republican Conference.[12]

She ran unopposed, as a Republican with the endorsement of the Independence Party of New York, in the November 2008[2] and November 2010 general elections.[3][13] Sayward retired from the Assembly at the end of 2012.[14]

In 2012, she supported Democratic President Barack Obama for re-election.[15]

Positions

Sayward favored lowering health care costs, workers' compensation costs, and local property taxes.[4] She argued for extensive state budget cuts.[16] She supported Governor David Paterson's 2009 proposal to legalize same-sex marriage in New York[17] and gave an emotional speech in the State Assembly that helped pass a bill for legalization.[18] Her elder son Glenn is gay, and she views gay marriage as a civil rights issue;[19][17] she received significant campaign donations from out of state as a result of her position,[20] but lost the endorsement of the Conservative Party of New York State.[21] She campaigned nationally for gay rights[19] and became involved with the Log Cabin Republicans.[22] She supported her friend Dede Scozzafava's 2009 campaign for Congress.[23] She is a member of the National Rifle Association.[24]

Family

Sayward and her husband Kenneth[4] have four children: Glenn (b. 1961),[19][21] Yvonne (b. 1963/1964),[6] Kyle (1969—2007),[25] and Wendy (b. 1972/1973).[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Assembly Hopefuls". The Post-Star. Glens Falls, NY. June 26, 2002. Retrieved November 23, 2010. Teresa Sayward, Age: 57
  2. ^ a b "Assembly Election Returns: November 4, 2008" (PDF). New York State Board of Elections. 2008.
  3. ^ a b "Assembly Election Returns: November 2, 2010" (PDF). New York State Board of Elections. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 18, 2013. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Durr, Eric (December 28, 2003). "Teresa Sayward brings small business attitude to state Legislature". The Business Review. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  5. ^ Kosmider, Bethany (January 1, 2003). "Sayward credits strong supporting staff". Press Republican. Plattsburgh, NY.
  6. ^ a b c Halperin, Sue M. (June 11, 1988). "At 35/ an Hour, How're Ya Gonna Keep'em Down on the Dairy Farm?". The New York Times. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  7. ^ Thompson, Maury (August 2, 2002). "Government panel honors Sayward". The Post-Star. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  8. ^ "Results for New York State Assembly". The New York Times. 2002. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  9. ^ "Kusnierz, former candidate for Assembly, endorses opponent Teresa Sayward". The Post-Star. October 18, 2002. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  10. ^ "New York Assembly – 113th District (vote for one)". The Post-Star. November 3, 2002. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  11. ^ Thompson, Maury (July 28, 2003). "Sayward revisits $30K debt". The Post-Star. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  12. ^ "Sayward named to GOP Conference post". Press-Republican. Plattsburgh, NY. December 29, 2006.
  13. ^ Meixner, Cristine (October 27, 2010). "Ballot time is at hand". Hamilton County Express. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  14. ^ McKinstry, Lohr (January 13, 2013). "Teresa Sayward reflects on Assembly career". Press-Republican. Plattsburgh, NY. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  15. ^ "New York Republican Lawmaker: GOP 'Would Take Women Back Decades'". ThinkProgress. Archived from the original on March 11, 2012.
  16. ^ "Sayward says lawmakers missed plenty of "fat" in their budget". North Country Public Radio. August 9, 2010. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  17. ^ a b "Paterson Announces Gay Marriage Legislation". WPTZ. April 16, 2009. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  18. ^ Grynbaum, Michael M. (June 21, 2007). "Gay Marriage, a Touchy Issue, Touches Legislators' Emotions". The New York Times. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  19. ^ a b c "Assemblywoman Sayward: conservative Republican, unlikely gay rights activist". North Country Public Radio. December 4, 2009. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  20. ^ Gershman, Jacob (August 7, 2008). "Assembly's Gay Rites Backers Reap Benefits". New York Sun. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  21. ^ a b Thompson, Maury (July 23, 2007). "Politics of the heart". The Post-Star. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  22. ^ Confessore, Nicholas (May 12, 2008). "Constituents Back a Tough Stand". The New York Times. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  23. ^ Thompson, Maury (November 2, 2009). "Sayward torn over vote in 23rd District". The Post-Star. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  24. ^ Ertelt, Paul (December 22, 2005). "Life, not death, for cop killers". Press-Republican. Plattsburgh, NY.
  25. ^ "Legislator's son dies in accident". Press-Republican. Plattsburgh, NY. January 29, 2007.

External links

New York State Assembly
Preceded by New York State Assembly
113th District
2003–2014 		Succeeded by
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_Sayward