Randy Kuhl

John R. "Randy" Kuhl is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New York. He defeated Democrat Samara Barend and Republican Mark Assini in 2004 to succeed Amo Houghton, a Republican who retired after the 108th Congress, and represents New York's 29th Congressional district (map), centered on a rural portion of upstate New York's Southern Tier. Kuhl was born April 19, 1943 in Bath, New York, but calls Hammondsport, New York home. He is divorced and has three children.

In 1997, while serving as a state senator, Kuhl was arrested and convicted of . During Kuhl's 2004 campaign, allegations of spousal abuse emerged when several weblogs published Kuhl's divorce records, which had formerly been sealed. In those records, Kuhl's ex-wife alleges that he abused her emotionally; that he refused to seek counseling for a history of drinking to excess; that he solicited other women for sex; and that he threatened to shoot her with two shotguns during a dinner party. Papers

Kuhl and his ex-wife together held a press conference shortly after the divorce papers were released. They did not discuss the contents of the papers; rather, they said they were released improperly and illegally obtained by the Barend campaign in what amounted to "political sabotage."

Prior to his election to the United States Congress, Kuhl, a lawyer, was a member of the New York Assembly from 1981-1987 and the New York Senate from 1987-2004.

Kuhl, a veteran New York politician, is among the oldest — and most politically experienced — freshmen of the 2004 House class. Kuhl is considered a fairly reliable conservative who generally votes against abortion rights, gun control and tax increases. He is, however, a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership.

Kuhl's Democratic opponent in the 2006 elections is former Navy-officer and former-Republican Eric Massa of Corning.

External links

*US House website
*Campaign website
*Massa's Campaign website
*record maintained by the Washington Post